Betrayal
by Sheena-MFfan
Summary: "And yet… you're still alive, Yoruichi, even though she could've killed you if she really wanted to. Do you know what that means? It means that she's willing to give you another chance to win her back. She wants you to fight for her!" Absolutely Yorusoi.
1. Little Bee Who Lost Her Wings

**Alright, hello everyone. ^^ How are you? Doing good? Awesome XD**

**This is going to be my first attempt at a multi-chapter fic that I'm actually planning on finishing XD Obviously, it's for the fandom of Bleach, and the main characters are Soi Fon and Yoruichi. They are also the main couple that this story focuses on, but this story isn't entirely about romance. It focuses on many other things as well.  
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**Other pairings shall be in this as well, but I will not mention who they are or whom they concern. But I will give a warning. This story contains yuri, yaoi, and hetero (no incest, though.) If for some reason any of this offends you, just click the back button and leave. I don't have the time or care to deal with haters.**

**Anytime I use a Bleach term (or Japanese term), I will put a definition of it in the ending authors notes (such as for Kido and Zanjutsu) just so the newbies to the series, or simply people who forget, can understand what they mean.**

**Anyway, that's it for now. I hope you enjoy the very first chapter of Betrayal! ^^**

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* * *

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**Prologue - Nightmare**

"… Why didn't you take me with you?"

"I don't know; why didn't I?"

"I don't know; that's why I'm asking you! I… I thought you hated me."

"Maybe I did."

"…"

"Correction; maybe I _do_."

"!"

"You already know the answer to your question."

"…"

"Bringing along a weakling like you would have been a nuisance to me. I had to save him, and doing so alone was the only way."

"Why does it always have to be about _him_?"

"Why does it always have to be about _you_?"

"!"

"I know you love me, Soi Fon… and it's disgusting. I've never loved you. I'm in love with him. _He_ was my choice. I gladly left you for him. I didn't even care enough to give you a goodbye."

"…"

"Stop crying, you weakling. I'm leaving now. You aren't worth my time; you never really were. I always ended up saving you a hundred years ago more than you saved me. I'm going to find _him_, again, and leave you alone, again. I don't need you anymore. Have fun torturing yourself in your lonely life."

"..."

* * *

_Crimson tears bled from a broken heart of cold steel. She turned around and only an afterimage remained withal. _

**Chapter 1 – Little Bee Who Lost Her Wings**

"_There is no fear when one expects to be betrayed. What's truly terrifying is when betrayal is unexpected."_ –Sosuke Aizen (Bleach).

~ YSYSYS ~

Silver irises tore abruptly through closed eyelids, darkness suddenly invading her vision. The female with the petite body sat up quickly in her bed, pale moonlight pooling over her as a sharp, fearful gasp escaped her trembling lips. She stared blindly at the blackened wall across the room, attempting to calm herself down. Her body was shaking, cold droplets of sweat running down the sides of her ghostly white face as her raven bangs stuck uncomfortably against her forehead. Her right hand held a vice grip on the blankets piled over her toned legs, her left one holding a position directly above her rapidly beating heart. Despite hearing the torturous _thump_ of the blood-pumping organ in her ears, it didn't even feel like she was breathing. She sat like this for awhile, silent and unmoving, as her brain slowly began to start functioning properly again.

Once she was calmer, she came to a realization of what had happened.

_A… a dream. J-Just a dream. No…_

She rested her face in her hands, her thin fingers shadowing her eyes.

… _That was a __**nightmare**_.

Normally she didn't remember her dreams after she woke up, but with this one she could remember every little pixel of colour. And it scared her. She instantly wished to forget it. She wished she hadn't gone to sleep the night before. But it was already stained in her memory.

Was there supposed to be a point to this? Was this meant to be a sign? Was there a message hidden so deep beneath the surface that she couldn't decipher it?

… Or was it just meant to frighten her?

_T-That tone of voice… Yoruichi-sama has never spoken to me like that before._ The cruel voice of said person tortured her soul.

_(Why does it always have to be about _you_?)_

Soi Fon clutched at the light blue fabric of her tank top that was shielding her heart, aching as those harsh words echoed endlessly in her mind.

_And those eyes… those perfect, amber eyes of a goddess… they were… gazing at me so coldly._

The warm memory of Yoruichi's gentle eyes was shattered with the appearance of these new ones, which were just as frighteningly beautiful, but chilled Soi Fon to the bone.

The black haired girl held back a shudder in her throat, desperately trying to scratch away the image that had been etched into her pulsing brain.

She closed her eyes—but reopened them just as quickly when she realized the simple action didn't help whatsoever. It only made things worse. The moment her world was bathed in complete darkness, the dream began to mockingly drill away at her very sanity.

Letting out a deep, uneasy sigh, Soi Fon turned her head only slightly to stare out her average sized window. Grey, stormy eyes confirmed that it was a full moon tonight, its light protecting the Soul Society from being caged in inky shadows. Said eyes began to narrow, thin eyebrows deepening. The longer time stood like that, the more noticeable the shaky woman's frown became.

The velvety-black sky. The white, shining moon. The sudden invasion of thick, black clouds.

Black, white, black.

Just like the setting of her dream. She winced in emotional pain, supporting her head in her hand which just began to flood from the short moments of her horrifying nightmare.

At first, there was nothing. Just an endless abyss of onyx. When she wept the secret desire that she had suppressed in her heart for 100 years, the room flashed a bright white. A voice suddenly started echoing in different corners of the vast area. A voice Soi Fon knew. But its normally playful and gentle tone was masked with a frigid bitterness, which was strange and unfamiliar. She didn't like it.

Soi Fon began anxiously exploring the large room, feeling lost and isolated, but that accustomed voice was pricking at her heart and she hopelessly wanted to locate the owner. Her actions went unrewarded, however. She never ended up running into anything or anyone, yet that woman's articulation still continued to haunt her.

Then she saw those eyes. Those golden eyes of her goddess that made her forget how to breathe. They lacked the intensity she was used to seeing, though. They were filled with… disgust?

Soon enough, the owner of those eyes soon faded into view as well. Strong muscles flexed beneath smooth, milk chocolate skin, black clothes stretching over only the necessary areas. Purple hair dangerously accented her face, her ponytail blowing elegantly yet mysteriously in the invisible breeze.

It was Yoruichi-sama. _Her_ Yoruichi-sama.

At first Soi Fon was happy. Even if it was but a dream, being in Yoruichi's presence was an honor in itself. But then the words escaping her ex-Captain's lips began to register in her brain, causing her to become light-headed. It made her weak in the knees—which she eventually fell to.

Pride and strength was long forgotten as Soi Fon knelt before Yoruichi, crying silently like a child. Yoruichi's words only became more hateful and rough as time passed on.

_(I've never loved you. I'm in love with him. _He_ was my choice. I gladly left you for him. I didn't even care enough to give you a goodbye.)_

Those were the few words that Soi Fon never wanted to hear. The moment they finished vibrating in her ears—and at the sudden appearance of a very cocky looking Kisuke Urahara snaking his arm around Yoruichi's waist—the feeling of agony and despair was equivalent to that of a poison drenched blade slowly piercing through her heart.

It hurt. It hurt a lot. Her eyes were burning, her mind was numbing, and her heart was breaking. She tried to speak, but her lungs had been deprived of air. She could only watch as the two figures before her began to blur into the distance, Urahara beaming a victorious grin in her direction.

A constricted labyrinth of black boxed her in once again as Soi Fon screamed.

The same thing nearly occurred in reality, but she had managed to tone it down to a gasp.

Soi Fon sighed uneasily, glaring in anger under moonlight's wake. She was a warrior. Remaining empty and emotionless was the best thing for her. Such things would only get in her way. But when it concerned Yoruichi, she just… couldn't stop her feelings from arising. Even after 100 years.

The look in her silver orbs softened as the back of her head came in contact with her feathery pillow once again. She unconsciously stared at her ceiling for a moment, which was already lost in darkness, blinking back tears that were threatening to form. She rolled over quickly and curled into a tight ball, pulling the blankets flush against her body, just hoping to ease the pain her nightmare had brought.

_I… I understand it was but a dream, however… it felt so real. My inner pain and turmoil is real, no matter how drastically I wish it wasn't. And even though my dream was fake, what if it was based on… truth?_

_

* * *

_

The poor raven haired girl had too much on her mind to even sleep a wink in the long hours that had just passed her by. Her eyes felt dry and itchy as she gazed out her window, noticing that it was no longer nightfall. Dawn was slowly making its anticipated appearance, the sky painted a grey-blue, the Sun still not quite visible over the horizon. Soi Fon glanced over at her clock on the other side of her room, vaguely noticing that most people would be sleeping right now and still would be for the next few hours.

But not her. She was Captain of the 2nd Division and Leader of the Stealth Force. She had many responsibilities to attend to. She always woke up around this time so she could fulfill all her duties.

Even more so, she did it to become stronger. Soi Fon knew that none of her skills would increase from sleeping in, so she forced herself to memorize when to wake up in the morning, the memory so deep that it had become a regular sleeping pattern. So now, she always got up at around six in the morning so that she could train herself physically—and the fact that it was so early in the morning did a number on her mentally as well. She did this daily before her session of seemingly endless paperwork to keep herself fresh and alert.

Soi Fon always pushed herself, even when she was younger. She still continues to do so because if she didn't, she would never become stronger than _her_.

Memories from her nightmare washed over her once again and it agonized her deeply. She knew it was just a dream, but the pain and fear of the truth was inescapable.

Shaking her head quickly back and forth, she sat up, effectively pushing the warm blankets off her abdomen, stretching her arms up high. She let out a gentle yawn, rubbing the lingering sleep out of the corners of her eyes as she forced herself out of her bed—which she didn't really like at the moment. She spared an instant glance at her white Captain's haori that was somewhat peeking out from behind her closet door before she staggered over to her personal bathroom.

Soi Fon locked the door behind her, just in case, before silently maneuvering across her decent sized bathroom and turning on the water for the shower. Normally she preferred cold showers, feeling that they proved better in awakening her, but for some reason, today, she desired a hot one.

When the clear liquid reached the temperature that satisfied her needs, she pulled her hand away from the water and quickly stripped off her sleepwear, folding her clothes in a neat pile on the tiled floor. She didn't bother to check out her appearance in the mirror; her body wasn't exactly eye candy. It was still as underdeveloped as it was when she was a teenager.

She carefully stepped into the shower, shielding her small body from view with the baby blue shower curtain. A delicate sigh escaped her lips, the steaming water soothing her stiff muscles as it trailed down her petite form.

It felt good, the water that was flowing through her hair. It warmed her to the core, just like when Yoruichi used to touch her.

Her silver eyes opened automatically, a bare tinge of a blush covering her cheeks just from thinking about that name. She tried to suppress her thoughts, but discovered she couldn't defend against the uprising.

It was true. Every time Yoruichi used to pet her hair, or lay in her lap, or wrap an arm around her waist, or hold her hand—it made Soi Fon feel warm inside. It made her heart skip a beat. Hell, just looking into her eyes made her nervous, because Soi Fon actually believed that those golden orbs held some sort of care for her.

Believed shall remain in the past tense as Soi Fon was a fool to even hope that her superior ever gave a damn about a lowly servant like her. After all, Yoruichi had betrayed her, left her to help Kisuke Urahara escape.

_Yoruichi-sama threw away everything she had, everything _we_ had, to help that bastard run from his crimes. She left without any warning at all. No letters, no goodbyes… nothing. I guess… I guess she never really cared. I was a fool to believe her jest. She always appreciated his company more than mine, no matter how much I was willing to give my life for her…_

A shaky breath trembled from her lips as she rushed to finish her shower, not wanting to lose herself in anymore painful memories that the hot water was seeming to bring. It didn't make her feel warm, anymore—just empty.

She hastily turned a faucet to halt the water, her heartbeat matching the rhythm of the droplets that departed from her fingertips and splashed gently against the wet shower tiles below. Cold air rushed at her like a blizzard once she stepped out of the shower, so she quickly wrapped a thin towel around her suddenly freezing figure in an attempt to sustain some body heat.

Her limbs moved mechanically as she thoroughly dried her physique, wiping some condensation from the mirror with her hand so that she could see herself. She roughly ran a comb through her raven hair, no effort required in brushing it into her signature style. Her locks were still a bit damp, but she knew it wouldn't take very long to dry. She swiftly knotted twin braids from the two long sections of her hair.

Soi Fon attempted to keep her thoughts blank as she exited the bathroom and stalked over to her closet, pulling out one of the many copies of her Stealth Force uniform. She clothed herself in an instant, rubbing away at the folds in her top. She looked at her Captain's haori once again before shrugging, deciding that she'll come back and get it later.

Soi Fon took a tight hold of Suzumebachi and left her quarters.

* * *

The 2nd Division Captain's final Shunpo left her in a large forest located within the Seireitei, just beside the Sokyoku Hill. Soi Fon often came here to practice her Hakuda and Zanjutsu.

This place… is where she fought Yoruichi.

Her Zanpakuto cut through the air like a hot knife peeling through butter as she recalled their encounter. It was quite recent, actually, a few months at most, back on the day when Rukia Kuchiki was supposed to be executed but was rescued by those Ryoka.

It was horrible. Soi Fon thought it was great to see her old mentor again after 100 years, because now she could finally prove to Yoruichi—and to her herself—that she was getting along just fine without her. Soi Fon could prove that _she_ was the stronger one now, and that she would kill Yoruichi for betraying her.

But yet, Cruelty seemed to _love_ messing with her mind.

_I trained for 100 years, 100 long, merciless years… I even succeeded her former positions. But even after all my hard work… she still bested me… and so easily, too. She… she was toying with me. Even after learning my reasons and intentions… she still went easy on me!_

A sudden sharp high kick sent a tree tumbling towards its death.

_She played me for a fool, like she always did!_

Short breaths were exhaled as she released a fury of punches against the wind.

_And the way she looked at me after she won… it… was so cold… it brought me to my knees._

Soi Fon froze for a moment.

_I couldn't stop crying… I was… so _weak_!_

Sadly for Soi Fon, her fight with her former Captain remained on her mind during her entire morning training. But this only made her train harder. Despite the fact that the two had come to a mutual agreement right before rushing off to try and capture Aizen, adrenaline still pumped Soi Fon's blood with one goal still in her mind.

To defeat Yoruichi.

After all, that was the whole point of why she wanted to become stronger. It was never truly about status or luxury. It was just about finally getting revenge against Yoruichi Shihoin, her goddess. Her goddess that had betrayed her without even bidding farewell.

_And even after all this time… she hasn't once said that she was sorry. … Maybe in her eyes, I'm still a pathetic little girl who isn't even worth her apology…_

Hours later is when Soi Fon finally decided to end her personal morning training. She groaned throatily, wiping sweat off her brow, remembering about the massive pile of unfinished paperwork that was waiting for her on her desk. With a dull sigh, she sheathed her Suzumebachi and Shunpoed back to her office.

She washed her face with a damp cloth to cool herself off before dressing in the regular Soul Reaper attire and wrapping her arms through her Captain's haori, allowing it to hang loosely and comfortably over her body, allowing her arms freedom.

She sat down at her desk, running her fingertips along its polished, wooden edges. She grabbed a black pen and twirled it effortlessly between her fingers, glaring at the tall stack of paper in front of her. She hesitated for awhile, brushing her bangs out of her eyes and preparing herself for a long afternoon, before allowing the dark ink of the pen to form words on the awaiting paper.

Soi Fon had no idea how long she had been sitting in that rigid chair. Her legs were numb and her back was stiff and her right hand was cramping from writing her signature so many times. She always hated doing paperwork. If it wasn't her responsibility, she certainly wouldn't do it, but she knew she had to. Plus, there's no way in Hell she'd ever trust one of her subordinates enough to help her.

She winced suddenly at this, her writing stopping mid-sentence.

_Is that how Yoruichi-sama felt? That she couldn't trust me as her subordinate? Is that why she left without telling me? Did Yoruichi-sama… not believe in my vow to protect her? No… I would've gone anywhere with her, she must've known that…_

"Captain!"

Soi Fon groaned audibly, nearly snapping her pen in half from the force of her fist. She hated her annoying Lieutenant. He was a useless slob who always happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. On so many occasions she had wished to promote her Third Seat to his rank, but because of the fact that her Lieutenant comes from a rich background and that he bought himself to his position, she couldn't do a damn thing about it.

"What do you want?" She answered coldly, glancing at her door.

She noticed how he hesitated before cautiously opening her door about halfway. She stared unwillingly at his fat, ugly face which he was stuffing with potato chips from the crisp, yellow bag he was holding under his pudgy arm. The crunch of the chips between his teeth grated at her ears and made understanding his speech nearly impossible.

"Captain, *munch*, the Stealth Force members are just wondering, *munch*, why you aren't training them today," Omaeda replied while enjoying his salty, delicious snack.

Silver eyes hardened in irritation, said Captain bearing her clenched teeth. "I'm not in the mood for it today, and as much as I hate to assign this to someone like you, Omaeda, you train them. Now leave me alone."

Omaeda halted eating his food, his expression softening slightly as he gazed at the petite woman. "Captain Soi Fon… are you—"

"—I'm fine! Now get the hell out of my sight! If I see you again today, you'll lose your head!" She barked at him angrily as her maggot of a Lieutenant apologized profusely and scurried away.

She continued to glare at the door which Omaeda had forgotten to close for a long time, allowing her anger to pour out of her body in a quiet, healthy way until she was calm.

She let out a sigh before turning back around in her chair and biting the inside of her cheek, ashamed that she lost such control of her emotions so easily. Emotions she should not have.

Refusing to give it another thought, Soi Fon picked up her pen and continued her paperwork.

* * *

The raven haired girl had no idea how many endless hours she had been cooped up in her office signing those stupid sheets. All she knew was that her hand was killing her and that it felt like the rest of her body was on standby mode. She glanced out her window, noticing how the sky was still a bright blue, and made the correct assumption that it was late afternoon.

With her paperwork finally done, she definitely wanted to depart from this constricted space. She stood up quickly, stretching all her muscles as she did so to relieve herself of her former stiffness.

When she was about to leave her room, she stopped. Her sterling gaze which had been fixed on the door—which was still partly open—was suddenly drawn to a specific drawer attached to a dresser beside her bed. Her heart was suddenly overrun with emotions as she stood there, firmly in place. Happiness, relief, nervousness, anxiety… she couldn't tell what the emotions were, nor their purpose, but she knew that those sudden feelings were radiating from that wooden drawer.

To Soi Fon, this was very weird. Before, she would never even spare that drawer a single glance, but now it felt like the temptation to peer inside of it was eating away at her soul.

The part of her brain that was still sane convinced her against the idea, explaining to her that she was still suffering from her nightmare and paranoia was overwhelming her senses. After all, that drawer had always been empty, and she hadn't used it for over 50 years. Obviously, there would be nothing inside of it.

She tore her gaze away from the mysterious drawer and exited her room.

Soi Fon didn't know what she was doing or where she was going. Thoughts were swimming around inside of her head, yet at the same time it felt empty to her. She didn't know what to think or what to feel.

She didn't even know where her feet were guiding her until she had arrived. A gasp parted her lips as she viewed the clearing of the forest full of sakura trees.

This is where… she and Yoruichi had made their promise.

* * *

_A soft hand ran through silky violet tresses. "I swear I will always be by your side to protect you. You can count on it."_

_A content sigh escaped beautiful lips. "So it's a promise, then?"_

_A nod of happiness which sealed them together forever._

_

* * *

_

She shut her eyes tightly, her eyebrows furrowing together from painful memories and realizations.

_It happened so suddenly. She disappeared without a trace, without any warning at all. It was such a __**betrayal**__, from a person I had devoted myself to, someone I had worshipped like a goddess. She… lied to me. She promised me we would always be together. I was so hurt and angry I came to hate and curse her. I vowed to make myself stronger than her, so I could catch her and defeat her with my own hands. There's… no way I could ever forgive her after the way she betrayed my trust and devotion. If she truly yearned for my forgiveness, she would have tried to earn it back by now. But she hasn't yet even apologized… nor paid me a single visit. Am I… really not worth her time? …_

A sudden tap on her shoulder nearly made Soi Fon jump out of her skin. She cursed herself inwardly in shame; she had been so caught up in her thoughts that she failed to sense someone approach her. If this had been on the battlefield, she would surely be dead by now. This was unacceptable.

Soi Fon whirled around, golden hoops tied at the end of her braids clanking together loudly, fiery anger stained all over her expression. She denied the part of her mind that wished the face she now viewed with her steel coloured orbs wasn't so unfamiliar.

"How _dare_ you try to sneak up on a Captain! State your purpose!" She roared at her Stealth Force member furiously.

"Oh, please forgive my rudeness, Captain. I was just wondering why the fool Omaeda has to teach us today instead of a skilled warrior like yourself." A charming voice replied.

Any snappy comeback she was about to say got stuck in her throat. She barely heard his words, but the sound of his voice echoed inside of her mind. It sounded like… a distant memory.

Soi Fon hesitated for awhile before simply telling her subordinate that she didn't feel like it today. He never gave her a response, only stared at her with ice blue eyes that were twinkling mischievously. Soi Fon felt entranced; she couldn't help staring back.

_Those… those eyes. They feel… so familiar._

She felt an odd ache in her heart. Even though he was coated entirely in black from the Stealth Force uniform, his eyes reflected mystery. A mystery she recognized, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. The confusion of the matter annoyed her.

And the fact that this lowly Soul Reaper was able to sneak up on her so easily pissed her off as well.

The man's eyes grew playfully soft, an amused smile growing behind his masquerade. He eventually removed his midnight shaded mask and headpiece, his wild, dark green hair falling to his shoulders, handsome bangs showering most of his pale face.

He smiled warmly upon seeing Soi Fon take a step back, her eyes widening in realization as words fluttered helplessly from her lips.

"You… it can't be you…!"

* * *

"Be careful, Ichigo!"

Chocolate orbs of said boy rested upon Kon, the Mod-soul who had currently possessed his body. The Sun, which was just beginning to fall from the high skies, still warmed Ichigo's skin and practically made his spiky orange hair glow. He gripped his Zanpakuto, Zangetsu, confidently within his strong hands, a light smirk on his features.

"Shut up, Kon. These little Hollows are no match for me!"

With a rough grunt, Ichigo leapt in the air, his Soul Reaper uniform flaring around his body wildly, as he vertically sliced a Hollow's mask in two with his sword, purifying its sins and sending its soul to the Soul Society. He wasted no time in using Shunpo to appear behind another Hollow in the shape of a large, grey wolf, and killing it as well.

Those small fry were absolutely no match for the Substitute Soul Reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki. He wasn't even breaking a sweat. But for some reason, more and more of those undead monsters just kept appearing, quickly using teamwork to surround their prey that contained such powerful spiritual energy.

Ichigo let out a battle cry as he charged at the Hollows, quickly and pretty much effortlessly destroying them all while effectively dodging any chance at injury.

But one Hollow seemed to escape the sight of his eyes and the wrath of his sword. The enormous and ferocious purple panther demon's roars filled the atmosphere as it swiftly approached Kon in Ichigo's body and raised its claw to strike. Ichigo's body trembled violently from the fear that Kon was feeling, and unfortunately, once Ichigo understood what was happening, he was too far away to protect his friend.

"Dammit! Kon, move!"

But it was too late. The Hollow launched its attack and all Kon could do was shut his eyes tightly, protect his head with his muscular arms, and wait for his end.

… It never seemed to come.

Kon bravely winked a brown eye open just to see a portal from the Soul Society above him closing and a small, black haired Soul Reaper suddenly in front of him and protecting him. His jaw dropped open in awe as he observed the Soul Reaper gracefully dispose of the Hollow with her Zanpakuto.

After the swirling dust and dirt from the battle cleared, the Soul Reaper turned around, her beautiful violet eyes shining with strength and worry as she asked Kon if he was alright.

Kon abruptly teared up, a scream of happiness splashing out of his throat.

"RUKIA!"

Ichigo watched in an odd sense of shock as Kon held the girl who allowed him to taste his first pure drop of Soul Reaper powers, Rukia Kuchiki, tightly against his chest, petting her hair gently to boot. Something pulsed angrily inside of Ichigo's heart upon seeing Kon embrace Rukia so comfortingly, even when inside of his body, but he chose to ignore the obscure feeling.

The orange haired Substitute Soul Reaper calmly paced over to his friends, using his spiritual energy to sheath Zangetsu upon his back within white strips of fabric, suppressing a chuckle as Rukia uppercut Kon in the jaw, sending the poor, perverted Mod-soul to the cement ground beneath, rubbing his chin tenderly.

"Hey now, be careful with my body there, Rukia," He greeted with a wave as he stood beside her, towering over the girl by at least a foot in height. "I know that Kon's in there, but don't go permanently damaging it."

"Speaking of which," Rukia began, her voice as demanding as ever. "Why _is_ Kon in your body? You could've saved yourself all of this trouble if you simply used the Substitute Soul Reaper badge that my Captain bestowed you with."

Ichigo paused for a moment, scratching the back of his head uselessly, as if in nervous preparation. "Oh yeah… well, when I felt the Hollows' presence, I didn't have the badge on me. Kon was all I had."

"You fool!" She suddenly yelled, making Ichigo wince. "That badge was a gift from my Captain! You should always have it on you! How dare you disrespect his kindness!"

"… Sorry," Ichigo apologized somewhat flatly, unsure of what else to reply.

"Anyways, Ichigo," Rukia continued with a cough. "I am here on urgent Soul Reaper business, so I don't have time to converse in small talk. I'm heading over to Urahara's Shop and it would be wise if you followed me."

"Uh, okay… h-hey! Wait a minute! Don't walk away! Rukia! _Hey_!"

Said girl ceased her walking for a mere moment to turn and look at the boy. "What?"

Ichigo hesitated, frozen to the spot, before asking, "Rukia… what's going on?"

The serious look in her eyes was answer enough.

* * *

Rukia silently observed the five pairs of eyes that waited for her to continue. Kisuke and Tessai's eyes were hidden but she knew that they were interested in what she had to tell them. Ichigo looked serious, too, but more worried than anything. Kon tried to pose a thoughtful expression, but was failing miserably. He was just overjoyed to see Rukia again.

The resplendent eyes of Yoruichi Shihoin interested her the most, though. They looked… bored. Blank and bored. She stared at Rukia, alike to the other members of the group, but she didn't seem to really see her. Yoruichi rested her chin in the palm of her hand, appearing disinterested.

This made Rukia frown, but she didn't comment outwardly on it. She understood that Yoruichi was a very laid-back person, but when it came to serious situations, especially concerning the Soul Society, the catlike woman knew how to be mature. But it seemed that said woman had other things on her mind that were blinding her.

Remembering the reason she came here, Rukia started to speak, ignoring this obvious rudeness. "I have been ordered here on urgent Soul Reaper business," Rukia explained. "I have been sent here because I am the closest one to the Substitute Soul Reaper, Ichigo Kurosaki, who resides in the Human World." She directed her gaze towards that of the orange haired boy. "Ichigo, a formidable and unfamiliar spiritual pressure has suddenly been located within the Seireitei, and just in case, we are requesting you for back up assistance."

"A… formidable and unfamiliar spiritual pressure?" Ichigo repeated.

"That's right," Rukia nodded. "We're unable to locate its direct location as its spiritual pressure continues to rise and fall in different waves. We all feel that it's being emitted from a fellow Soul Reaper, however… we're not completely sure. It feels so… demonic compared to that of a regular Soul Reaper."

"Then maybe it's not a Soul Reaper at all," Ichigo offered. "Maybe it's a Hollow… or maybe even a Bount."

"Impossible for both cases," Rukia replied firmly. "The only Bount remaining is Go Koga, and he's in hiding with Ran'Tao. He has yet to disturb our peace since you disposed of Jin Kariya, Ichigo. Plus, if a Hollow had invaded the Seireitei, an alarm would have been sounded. The Gotei 13 are keeping quiet about this—most lower level Soul Reapers can't even regard the change in spiritual pressure."

"So, the Seireitei can't describe what kind of being this spiritual pressure belongs to?" Tessai questioned.

"Which is why you were ordered to come and see me," Urahara grinned calmly, pushing his striped hat up a bit to reveal his grey eyes. "They want me to try and discover who this person—or thing—is."

"That is partially correct," Rukia said. "My only orders were to come and bring Ichigo back to the Soul Society. I came to your shop on my own accord because I know that you, Kisuke, have the intellect to figure out this situation. The Seireitei always tries to avoid asking outsiders for their assistance… but sometimes it can't be helped."

Kisuke's grin didn't falter. "Ah… I see. Even after 100 years, there are still those who exist in the Soul Society whose anger hasn't dulled for me."

Yoruichi frowned and visibly flinched at this, but she still never spoke a word.

Several eyes watched him, waiting for the dirty blonde haired man to continue.

"Well, to be honest, I've never heard of something that correctly matches the information you have given me. I hope you understand that this is very little detail to work with. To me, at the moment, it just sounds like a powerful Soul Reaper with unique powers, or perhaps a unique Zanpakuto."

"I see…" Rukia replied with a thoughtful expression.

"Don't worry," Urahara reassured. "I'll research as much as I can into this to hopefully find the answer you're looking for."

"There's… only one other thing I know about this mysterious being," Rukia added slowly, dainty.

Everyone caught the oddness in the tone of her voice. "What is it, Rukia?" Ichigo asked quietly.

Violet eyes stared at him harshly.

"… A Captain is with them."

The room was silent besides the gasps that slipped past the lips of Kon and Tessai. Ichigo's eyes widened in surprise, and even Urahara looked taken aback.

Yoruichi's reaction appeared the most shocked, though. Her canines were clenched behind her lips, her amber orbs were wide with fear, and her body had frozen to its position. A steady ache swirled around her heart, a pump of anxiety with every beat. Her gut was twisting uncomfortably, but she didn't know why.

She had a sudden, horrible feeling that she couldn't quite place.

_A Captain… is with this new fiend? By with, what exactly did Rukia mean? As in fighting with them, or… working together with them? Either way… please, _please_ don't let that Captain be—_

"Alright, I've wasted enough time here."

Yoruichi blinked rapidly to shake off her thoughts before looking up at the black haired girl.

"I've said everything that needed to be said. So now, Ichigo, I'd appreciate it if you followed me to the Soul Society."

"… Yeah, sure, Rukia. Whatever you say." The orange haired youth stretched his arms as he stood up, giving his shorter friend a nod of acceptance. She nodded back, a ghost of a smile gracing her lips. A portal to the Soul Society opened its doors behind Rukia.

"… I'm going, too."

Everyone glanced at the purple haired Goddess.

"Yoruichi? … Why?" Ichigo questioned under his breath.

A light smirk was forced upon her full lips as she walked towards the bright light radiating from the spiritual doors. "You know what they say," Her silky voice began, "The more, the merrier, right?"

She only allowed her expression to fall after she was away from the sight of her friends, beyond the passage of the doors. Ichigo and Rukia blinked to each other before bidding their farewells to the rest of the group and racing after Yoruichi, the doors slamming shut behind them before dissolving into untraceable mist.

"… You're not gonna follow them, Mr. Hat n' Clogs?" Kon asked softly, gazing at the man.

Kisuke Urahara expressed a small smile. "Nah, I'll let those kids have their fun."

After Kon looked away, Urahara looked down, his grey orbs hidden by the shadows of his hat. Tessai gave him an understanding look from behind his darkened glasses, but Kisuke ignored him. The distant and worried look in Yoruichi's eyes was haunting his heart, as it normally did when his best friend looked like that.

_It's definitely not my time to return to the Soul Society. All I can do is hope that things don't occur as they did 100 years ago. Please, Yoruichi… don't let that happen._

_

* * *

_

"How can you just show up so suddenly, you bastard!"

The man's halcyon aura didn't falter in the slightest as Soi Fon lashed out at him with words. Her eyes resembled hot steel as the fists at her side trembled with anger.

The man brushed his bangs out of his eyes. "Now, now… calm down, Soi Fon."

Her heart skipped a beat from hearing her name said by his all too familiar voice. "_Me_? Calm _down_? Calm is the _last_ thing I should be right now! After all…" Her eyes darkened. "… You left me, just as _she_ had, yet you still had the nerve to show back up here."

"That's right," He nodded in mutual agreement, his voice full of sympathy. "But you have to understand that the reason she left and the reason I left are two entirely different things. On my account, I had nothing left to teach you."

"That's not true!" Soi Fon blurted uncharacteristically, high strung emotions fueling her. "I was still weak back then. There was still so much more left for you to teach me, and yet… just as she had, you left without even saying goodbye…"

This made the man frown, but it was so instantaneous that Soi Fon couldn't even catch it. He took a slow, bold step forward, resting his gloved hand upon her shoulder. She tensed under his touch.

"When I first approached you," He began. "You resembled a little bee who had lost her wings. A girl who had lost everything. You were lonely, weak, and heartbroken, and that pain is still as fresh as if it occurred yesterday." The Captain looked at the ground, understanding full well what he meant. "But… I saved you from all that pain, relieved you of your loneliness… helped you forget about _her_. I taught you how to be strong. I watched your wings regrow.

"I've secretly watched over you for the past five years disguised as one of your Stealth Force members, and I am very proud of how strong you have become, Soi Fon." Said girl felt a pink tinge in her cheeks. "But after _she _showed up again, things changed. You were so confident, so strong… but after she beat you…" Soi Fon gazed into his eyes.

"… I once again saw the lonely little bee who had lost her wings. And she still stands here today, unable to take flight."

Soi Fon's head pointed towards the grass beneath, her shoulders shaking from anger and shame. "I trained for so long… so long… and yet… she still beat me so _easily_… so _effortlessly_," She murmured, more to herself than to him.

He gently squeezed her shoulder in reassurance. "I'll never let her hurt you again."

"And what gives you the right to say something like that?" She responded sharply, quickly, dauntlessly meeting his gaze.

The look in his eyes softened, ice blue orbs full of care. "Because I can't stand seeing you get hurt."

Soi Fon could feel her breath get caught in her throat. Her heart was aching but something oddly pleasant was swarming around in the pit of her stomach. _This man always watched over me… even when she wasn't there. He helped me let go. He taught me how to be strong. That look in his eyes… he really does… genuinely care about me…_

A rush of strong wind whipped her hair against her face, breaking her out of her thoughts, as she glanced around to see many of her Stealth Force troops circled around her and the mysterious man. She frowned at their presence, as she hadn't called for them.

The man didn't seem intimidated by their large numbers, however. His smile merely turned sly as he released his grip on the smaller woman's shoulder. "My, my…" He murmured. "What a welcoming committee we have, Soi Fon."

"Silence!" A bold Stealth Force member demanded, taking a step forward among his peers. "Your spiritual pressure feels… dangerous and unfamiliar. You are not one of our members! How dare you disguise yourself as one of us!"

"How dare you vile our Leader with your hands!" Another one with a higher voice spoke on the other side of the circle of guards. "Force Leader, hurry and get out of here! We'll handle this unworthy garbage."

Soi Fon's frown deepened. _Unworthy…_

The first Stealth Force member spoke up again, his voice low and threatening. "If you dare lay another finger on our Commander… we'll be forced to execute you!"

"Oh, how scary!" The dark green haired man mocked with a dramatic voice, an audacious grin spreading across his face. "Too bad…" He trailed his fingertips down Soi Fon's left arm, "… that I don't really care."

Blinded by rage and the desire to protect their master, all of the Stealth Force members charged at the repulsive man.

For a reason she could not explain, Soi Fon found herself protecting the man at her side. Seeing his smile, feeling his touch, understanding the emotion in his eyes… it all reminded her of how nice he was to her after Yoruichi left.

She was a black and white blur. She was too fast for her opponents to even see. She fought using precise Hakuda because it was her most skilled area, and because she didn't want to unnecessarily slay any of her comrades. But she also refused to let her comrades touch a hair on that man's head. Her arms and legs lashed out sharp movements, using methods that would simply knock her allies unconscious instead of killing them.

Soi Fon let out a short breath as she landed silently on the grass next to the man, who immediately placed his hand on her shoulder. She once again tensed under his touch and chose not to look at him, even when knowing he was staring at her. Instead, she focused her gaze at the several dozens of men from her Stealth Force that she had just defeated. Her face scrunched up in disgust.

_This was once my sacred place,_ Soi Fon thought. _… But now it has been defiled._

The raven haired girl's ears perked up at the sound of three more people arriving many metres distance from her. She automatically could tell how much fiercer their spiritual pressure was compared to her subordinates that she just took out.

After hearing a female gasp, both Soi Fon and the man turned around to view the three newcomers. It was Ichigo, a Ryoka, Rukia, whose hand was in front of her mouth, and…

… _Yoruichi-sama!_

Brown, violet, and amber eyes widened in shock at the sight of Soi Fon with the man and the Stealth Force defeated around them.

Soi Fon took notice to how Yoruichi's orbs almost instantly softened after she realized where she was.

… She remembered this place, too.

"C-Captain Soi Fon… what is this? What happened here?" Rukia asked hesitantly, unable to shake her uneasy feeling.

She never got a reply.

"Soi Fon is the leader of the Stealth Force," Ichigo exclaimed with a blustering frown. "I know she's cruel, but there's no way she would attack her own subordinates to defend a scumbag like you! You may be wearing a Stealth Force uniform, but I can sense how your spiritual pressure is different from that of a regular Soul Reaper.

"I know you're the one who did this!" The orange haired boy continued. "You'll pay for this, you bastard!"

Ichigo was ready to change at the man with the offending smirk, but was stopped by a dark hand in front of his chest.

"Calm yourself, Ichigo," Yoruichi said firmly, her voice making Soi Fon shiver. "Leave this to me."

"But—"

Yoruichi gave him a fierce look, and that was enough for his words to get caught in his throat. He let out a low growl as he stepped back towards Rukia, standing protectively beside her with one strong hand firmly holding the handle of his Zangetsu.

"Hello there!" Yoruichi greeted calmly to the tall, mysterious man, offering a laid-back wave of her hand, but not a hint of friendliness crossed her features. "If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a few questions."

The man stared at Yoruichi with a deviant hardness in his eyes, staying silent. Soi Fon scowled at her forwardness.

"First off," Yoruichi began. "Who is responsible for the defeat of the Stealth Force?"

"Why does that matter?" He answered mischievously. "It doesn't change the fact that they're out cold on the ground."

Yoruichi frowned at this but chose to skip to another question, one of much more importance to her. "Why are you with my student?"

Soi Fon's teeth clenched together in anger. _Student? I… am NOT her student anymore._

The man noticed Soi Fon's sudden discomfort but made sure not to show it. "Is there something wrong with me being with your… student? If she doesn't mind me being with her, then I don't see a problem with it."

The dark skinned woman's muscles tensed, her lips forming a hard line in frustration and building anger. "I don't appreciate the way you're answering my questions."

"Oh really? What that's too bad," He started cruelly, a drastic change in his tone that made Ichigo and Rukia flinch. "At least I'm _answering_ your questions. Anytime _you_ get asked a question, especially a heartfelt one, you tend to just stay silent… and run away… like the coward you are." He stroked Soi Fon's shoulder tenderly.

_(… Why didn't you take me with you?)_

Catlike pupils narrowed to dangerous slits as control slipped out of Yoruichi's mind.

The purple haired woman Shunpoed to him independently, a mere blink in Ichigo's and Rukia's eyes and the Goddess of Flash was next to the man, her leg high in the air, planning to entirely crush his skull. Yoruichi's heart nearly stopped when she felt Soi Fon's firm arms blocking her mighty kick, her body protecting the man.

Soi Fon's form froze upon realizing that she was raising her fists against her former master, again, only this time she didn't understand what gave her the will to do so. Anger? Hatred? Regret? The fact that Yoruichi attempted to hurt… him?

The raven haired girl gazed into Yoruichi's golden orbs, seeing how stunned she was from her former subordinate's actions. Soi Fon's heart skipped a beat as those beautiful eyes stared into hers, her soul wishing to believe that that was care shining in those golden depths, but then she remembered about her nightmare…

_(I know you love me, Soi Fon… and it's disgusting. I've never loved you. I'm in love with him. _He_ was my choice. I gladly left you for him. I didn't even care enough to give you a goodbye.)_

Steel eyes tightened in anger as though they represented unbreakable doors to her soul. Doors that were suddenly more determined than ever to lock the purple haired woman out. Soi Fon refused to allow this woman to control her life anymore. All of her muscles hardened instantly, one hand securely gripping Yoruichi's ankle as she parted her lips to yell at the woman who caused her a century of pain.

"_Back off_!"

Yoruichi's throat constricted as those two fierce words filled her ears. Her old student's declaration rang endlessly inside of her head. Two words. They were so simple… but it made Yoruichi's stomach twist painfully.

_What happened to the shy, respectful little girl… that I had to leave 100 years ago? What happened… to my poor little Soi Fon?_

A grin spread across the viridian haired man's face as he noticed the obvious shock and confusion upon Yoruichi's expression, his eyes darkening considerably. Ichigo saw this and Rukia had to grip his forearm in order to hold him back, reminding him that Yoruichi told them to leave this situation to her.

Unfortunately in Yoruichi's case, Soi Fon didn't have any intention of backing down and talking things through calmly like Yoruichi had originally planned. However, Soi Fon had always been a woman who communicated through actions rather than words, anyway. From the way Soi Fon was gripping her ankle, Yoruichi could tell what she was going to do—as she had trained her personally in the past—yet Yoruichi couldn't find the will to break out of her hold. She knew she easily could… but she didn't want to raise her fists to Soi Fon.

Not again.

"Soi Fon… please," Yoruichi found it hard to speak. "Tell me what's going on. There is no reason for us to fight. I don't want to fight you."

"Oh, that's right… it's always been about what _you_ want, hasn't it?"

Venom dripped from Soi Fon's voice and Yoruichi groaned lightly as the other woman pushed off the ground using the balls of her feet, still holding onto Yoruichi's ankle, sending both of them flying off into the trees.

"No! Yoruichi!" Ichigo called out.

"I wouldn't interfere if I were you," The mysterious man noted slyly. Rukia narrowed her eyes at him and Ichigo's muscular arms were trembling in anger at this bastard's attitude. "This is Soi Fon's fight. Stay out of it, and I _promise_ to not raise an offending finger against you."

"But Yoruichi is our friend! We're not just gonna let her fight a Captain all by herse—"

Ichigo's reply was cut short as the man started laughing, his dark coloured hair swaying back and forth as he shook his head.

"Heh…" He began suspiciously covertly. "… You just don't understand anything, do you?"

"… What?"

As Ichigo's conversation trailed to uncomfortable silence, a loud crash echoed through the beautifully large sakura forest as Soi Fon threw Yoruichi by her ankle into the trunk of a tree. Yoruichi bit back a gasp as pain surged through her back at the impact, a dangerous crack fissuring the bark as she slid down limply to the ground. It was surprising the tree didn't split apart, really.

Yoruichi's eyes cracked open to view the petite figure clad in her old Captain's uniform that stood upon a thin branch a few metres away, cold, grey orbs staring down at her with a mixture of emotions.

_Ugh… hurting Soi Fon is out of the question, but getting hurt myself isn't very appealing either. I suppose I should at least defend myself…_

Yoruichi was forced to submit to her final thoughts because Soi Fon Shunpoed at her in the next second. Having no choice, Yoruichi Shunpoed at her as well.

Sakura petals blew around wildly as the two women collided in midair, nearby ones dissolving instantly from the intense spiritual pressure melting off their skin. Soi Fon relied solely on Hakuda, unleashing a fury of swift punches upon her former idol. Yoruichi never returned any assaults, instead choosing to minimize the damage she was receiving with countless dodges and blocks.

Eventually, Yoruichi was able to grip both of Soi Fon's toned shoulders and hopped over her, leaving the raven haired girl surprised at the odd maneuver. Soi Fon's braids whipped themselves against Yoruichi's legs as the dark skinned girl pushed herself off of Soi Fon's back with her feet, a rush of wind smacking her face as she sent herself soaring upwards while Soi Fon was sent diving in the other direction.

The moment Yoruichi gripped a high branch with her hand, acrobatically flipped around it, and landed on it safely, she turned around with hope that she didn't hurt Soi Fon with those actions. Her features appeased gladly when she realized that the Stealth Force Leader hadn't suffered any injuries; she stood uninjured on the ground, glaring daggers up at her while her knuckles were turning white from how tightly she was clenching her fists.

It's true that no physical pain was delivered… but Soi Fon's mental pain was stronger than ever.

"How _dare_ you treat me this way!" Golden eyes shined in confusion at Soi Fon's sudden outburst. "Why aren't you attacking me? You're going easy on me… again! Just like you did last time! How dare you mock me!"

Soi Fon leapt at the purple haired woman, her fist outstretched. "Why can't you honor me with the fight I deserve, Yoruichi-sama?"

Yoruichi winced inwardly as she sidestepped Soi Fon's attack at the last possible moment. The silver eyed girl groaned throatily, nipping at the inside flesh of her cheek as she performed a graceful flip in the air, before landing smoothly on a nearby branch, her body automatically locking in a defensive position.

But Yoruichi didn't take this as an advantage to strike. After all, causing Soi Fon pain was the last thing she wanted to do. She had absolutely no interest in fighting her. "You've already fought me once, Soi Fon. What will you gain… from a second round?"

"… Our last battle meant nothing! It didn't prove my strength! I still wasn't… stronger than you. All that fight succeeded in doing… was shouting the fact… that I was still the pathetic girl you betrayed 100 years ago." Her expression saddened slightly.

As did Yoruichi's. "Soi Fon… I didn't betray—"

"—Yes you did!" Soi Fon screamed in fury, forcing tears to stay behind her eyes. "You promised me we would always be together! Yet you betrayed me! And for what? That stupid slob you used to call your Third Seat! What made him so special? Why did it always have to be about _him_?"

_(Why does it always have to be about _you_?)_

Soi Fon's eyes widened in painful remembrance, chomping on her lower lip roughly.

Yoruichi reached out towards her, despite the distance between them. "Soi Fon… please, if you would just listen to me."

"No! I'm done listening! All your talk is full of lies!" Soi Fon shut her eyes tightly, her heart aching just from looking at the gorgeous woman's face. "I… am _through_ with you, Yoruichi-sama! I refuse to let you hurt me like that again! Your very existence threw away any chance at freedom I could've had, and I was still haunted by your image even after you left! I… I'm not your pet anymore!"

It felt like panther's claws were ripping Yoruichi's heart. "Soi Fon…"

"That man… he was there for me when you never were. He actually _cares_ about me. If you dare even _threaten_ him again… I'll kill you, Yoruichi-sama!"

Time seemed to freeze for Yoruichi. The breeze instantly stopped, her violet ponytail brushing against the orange jacket that clothed her back. A lone cherry blossom rested upon her shoulder.

Soi Fon's next words were but a murmur, yet they dripped of stinging acid. "I'm not the same girl you used to know. A lot of things can change in 100 years, Yoruichi-sama… including my feelings for you."

Those heartbreaking words caused Yoruichi to let her guard down for only an instant. But an instant was all Soi Fon needed. The shorter haired girl thrust her foot against Yoruichi's stomach, knocking the air right out of the older girl's lungs and sent her flying backwards at breakneck speed. The distance Yoruichi's body travelled from the force was so vast that she landed on her back before Ichigo and Rukia, rolling uncomfortably on the grass until her form came to a halt.

"Yoruichi!" They both cried, kneeling beside their friend and mentor to check for any severe injuries.

The catlike woman coughed at their efforts. The only injuries she had truly attained during that fight were mental ones. Scars on her pride—and her heart.

Soi Fon appeared next to the mysterious man a few seconds later. He proposed a smile, his ice blue eyes twinkling in a sadistic joy, but she never looked at him back. Her solid silver gaze was locked with the liquid golden ones across the area.

Her heart was thumping loudly and her soul felt like it was breaking. Something was overwhelmingly painful… after Soi Fon realized that Yoruichi was lying there on the ground because of her…

All thoughts were halted as a powerful spiritual pressure entered their senses. All heads turned to look at the new face that had appeared through the trees. His eyes were closed, his midnight hair curtaining behind his shoulders. He was clad in a Captain's uniform.

"Nii-sama…" Rukia whispered to herself. His grey eyes opened slowly, principle lodged within them.

"Byakuya!" Ichigo declared loudly, staring intensely at him.

Byakuya of the noble Kuchiki clan ignored both of them and stared directly into Yoruichi's eyes. _Hmm…_ He thought. _It appears as though the were-cat has been caught after all._

The Captain of the 6th Division shifted his gaze to that of his current fellow Captain's. "Captain Soi Fon, just what do you think you are doing?" He asked sternly. She never offered a reply. "From what I observed, you defeated your own Division to defend that Soul Reaper with the unfamiliar spiritual pressure. Then you began unnecessarily fighting Yoruichi Shihoin—with the same intention of protecting that man."

Soi Fon frowned, still refusing to look at him. She had a _very_ bad gut feeling about all of this.

"Unless your senses deceive you, Captain Soi Fon, that man is not one of your men. His spiritual pressure has been detected by the Seireitei and he has been deemed an enemy. Which means, Captain Soi Fon, that you have broken the law by attacking fellow Soul Reapers and siding with the enemy."

Yoruichi's eyes widened as she stared at Soi Fon, the later girl's heart trembling. Obeying the law was the only thing the silver eyed girl had ever known. She had always been strict about following the rules, even when she was but a child. What on Earth could drive Soi Fon to do something so foolhardy that she would go against something she believed so strongly in?

… _Like me,_ Yoruichi thought. _She always believed in me. She promised me she would always be by my side to protect me… but now…_

_(If you dare even _threaten_ him again… I'll kill you, Yoruichi-sama!)_

"This is an emergency situation," Byakuya announced strongly, yet he sounded quite calm and respectable all the same. "I will be reporting this whole situation to Head Captain Yamamoto, and no doubt a Captain's meeting will be ordered. … It would be wise, Captain Soi Fon, if you accompanied me to the Main Assembly Hall where the meeting will soon take place… so you can have a chance to explain your actions."

Soi Fon let out a deep breath through her nose as she glanced behind herself to notice that the man was gone. Long since gone, probably, as she could not even feel a tinge of his warmth anymore.

She met Yoruichi's gaze once again, reading the shock, confusion, fear, and pity that was swirling within them.

_(I'm going to find _him_, again, and leave you alone, again. I don't need you anymore. Have fun torturing yourself in your lonely life.)_

Cursing under her breath to disguise a sob, she Shunpoed away with Byakuya, leaving Yoruichi in a state that she couldn't even begin to describe.

* * *

**Sama**: a very formal honorific used when talking to or about someone who is much older and wiser, or someone whom you admire to the point of near worship.

**Sakura**: cherry blossom, the name of the flowers that bloom on cherry trees.

**Haori**: jacket worn over the kimono by both men and women (in this case, the white coat worn by all the Bleach Captains.)

**Shunpo**: a movement technique that allows the user to move faster than the eye can follow.

**Hakuda**: the general term for close-combat techniques that make use of one's own body as a weapon (hand-to-hand combat).

**Zanpakuto**: main weapon of the Soul Reaper (Shinigami), the Arrancar and the Vizard.

**Zanjutsu**: the most used form of combat among Soul Reapers. As the name suggests, it involves using a Zanpakuto and its various special abilities to attack an opponent.

**Mod-souls**: artificial souls designed to enhance regular human physiology, making them capable of battling Hollows equally.

**Ryoka**: the term the Gotei 13 use to identify those who are not aligned with the Soul Society, either allies, rebels, intruders, deserters, or invaders.

**I know this chapter is very long, but that's because this is the first chapter and I intended for a lot to happen in it. Besides, longer chapters are better, right? It gives the readers more to look forward to every time I update the story.**

**By the way... I'm just wondering... do any of you ever use sentences where it ends with both a question mark and an exclamation mark (? and !)? Those type of sentences put lots of excitement and emphasis on the question that's being asked, and I intended for some of the sentences in this story (and all of my others) to have this effect. But for some reason, every time I try to use that, or put double punctuation (like lots and lots of ! marks) fanfiction doesn't save what I do and doesn't allow them to appear in the story when I upload it to the site, yet I see it works with other people's stories. ... Does anyone know how I can fix this problem? XD  
**

**Anyways… I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Betrayal, and your support will help me continue this story. Review… please? For the Yorusoi? ;)**


	2. Exile of the Unworthy

**Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed this story, or, you know, even if you didn't review, but just read it. Thanks :P Reviews keep me motivated, though. ^^**

**I do not own Bleach or any of its amazing characters.**

**

* * *

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**Chapter 2 – Exile of the Unworthy**

"_I have loved justice and hated iniquity; therefore I die in exile." _–Pope Gregory VII.

~YSYSYS~

"Surely by now Head Captain Yamamoto would have received Nii-sama's message about Captain Soi Fon, and more than likely a Captain's meeting is already in session. … It would probably be wise if you two returned to the Human World."

Chocolate eyes gazed at Rukia in a frustrated confusion, the orange haired youth gently cracking his neck and then rubbing the back of it soothingly. "So…" He started slowly, unsurely. "… Soi Fon was the Captain who was with that asshole, huh?" Yoruichi's shoulders tensed as she looked off into the distance.

"… So it seems," Rukia said, her concerned orbs staring at the ground.

"Goddammit!" Ichigo spoke loudly, running a strong hand through a fistful of his spiky orange locks before resting that hand upon his hip, his eyebrows knitting a frown. "I don't understand any of this! First there's a freakin' stupid amount of Hollows in Karakura Town, then you suddenly appear, Rukia, and tell me that I'm needed in the Soul Society as assistance against this being with an unfamiliar spiritual pressure, then we find the Stealth Force defeated and see Soi Fon with that jackass, then she wordlessly protects him and attacks Yoruichi, and then Byakuya appears and states that Soi Fon has broken the law! And just to put a cherry on top, that dangerous Soul Reaper disappeared, too! I can't sense him anymore! Where's the logic in any of this? Rukia, what the hell is going on?"

"Calm down, Ichigo," Rukia's voice was firm, but worry was laced within it. "I know you don't understand what's going on; none of us do. If I had answers to give you, I would, but I have none."

"Man…" Ichigo sighed heavily. "Think I should tell Mr. Hat n' Clogs about this?"

"Yes," Rukia nodded approvingly. "That man is very wise, despite his lazy demeanor. No doubt he will help us in discovering the answers we want."

"He better, cause this is really gonna bother me," Ichigo rubbed at his temples roughly, hoping to calm the thoughts swirling around inside of his head. "But no matter what the true answers are, one thing is certain." Rukia gazed at him curiously. "We have a new enemy to look out for."

Violet eyes turned cautious. "That's right," She agreed. "I have a feeling this isn't the last time we're going to see him."

Ichigo's eyes hardened. "That bastard really pissed me off. Like honestly, what a cocky asshole."

Rukia never gave a reply, merely gazed at how his beautiful eyes were shining in frustration, his handsome face painted with annoyance. She noticed her heart skip a beat as she continued to stare at his face, but quickly shook off the feeling, tearing her eyes away.

"By the way, Rukia…" Hearing her name said by his voice broke her out of her thoughts, hesitantly meeting his intense gaze. "What happens to a Captain… who's broken the law?"

Yoruichi visibly flinched, a knot suddenly in her stomach.

Rukia opened her mouth to reply, but struggled to form words. "Well… that depends."

"Depends?"

"Depends on how badly they've done wrong," Rukia continued. "These rules aren't just strict for Captains, you know; they apply for every Soul Reaper in the Soul Society."

"So what's gonna happen to Soi Fon?"

Rukia stopped for a moment, turning slightly, avoiding his stare. "I hope and pray…" She stated softly. "… That nothing bad happens. Soi Fon is one of our strongest and most loyal Captains. … We can't afford to lose any more of them."

The air turned tense, the sudden gust of breeze felt like it was choking Yoruichi around her throat. Ever since that horrible feeling she had felt back in Urahara's Shop, she hadn't been quite like herself. The sudden worry and stress at the time was like a large, lit-up warning sign in her eyes. It was hard to place, but she eventually understood.

Somehow she knew that Soi Fon was going to be the Captain who was with their new foe.

And oddly enough, that's what her golden eyes confirmed for her mere moments ago. It was hard enough for Yoruichi to fight Soi Fon the _first_ time, but this…

_(I'll kill you, Yoruichi-sama! … I'm not the same girl you used to know. A lot of things can change in 100 years, Yoruichi-sama… including my feelings for you.)_

It hurt, even though she should've expected it. After all, she left the girl alone for 100 years.

… _And I didn't even tell her I was sorry,_ Yoruichi thought numbly. _Even when she cried to me, asking me why I didn't take her with me… I was so cold that I couldn't even give her an answer. Even though I promised her I would always be with her. And ever since that fight… I've been avoiding her. I just didn't want… to bring her any more pain…_

While her thoughts were a whirlwind, the purple haired woman was calm and silent on the outside. She folded her arms, her elegant fingertips absentmindedly playing with the orange fabric that coated her arms. Her amber eyes were staring up at the 1st Division's Headquarters, the Main Assembly Hall, knowing that that's where Soi Fon was.

The Senkaimon's doors opened loudly behind them, showering the three Soul Reapers in a bright light.

"It would be best for you two to return home for now," Rukia stated softly.

"Yeah…" Ichigo gave a nod, followed by a small smile as he stared at the shorter black haired girl. "You take care of yourself, Rukia."

"I will," Rukia returned his smile. "Be careful, Ichigo." She shifted her gaze. "You too, Yoruichi."

Said woman turned to look at the girl who murmured her name. She placed a hand on her hip, gently forcing her trademark smirk onto her expression. Truth be told, she was too worried to even think about being careful. "Sure thing," She replied to the violet eyed girl.

Rukia nodded, bidding both of her friends farewell as the Senkaimon closed behind them.

Yoruichi frowned the moment violet orbs disappeared and brown ones looked the other way.

_Please, Soi Fon… please be okay._

_

* * *

_

Head Captain Yamamoto observed through thin eyes the many Captains that now stood before him in the Main Assembly Hall. Soi Fon and Byakuya stood at the front of the group, closest to the Head Captain, the rest of the Captains standing silently in their respective positions. Four spots were empty, excluding Soi Fon and Byakuya. Three were empty because of the recent betrayals, and the final one simply because a Captain was late.

Once Kenpachi finally arrived, a disinterested look upon his features, Yamamoto's firm voice echoed through the hall. "Now that every Captain has arrived, I announce that this Captain's meeting is now in session!"

Many eyes now stared at his scarred face, others gazing at the floor respectfully. Soi Fon kept her head hung in shame.

"I have arranged this urgent meeting based on recent information that Captain Kuchiki has bestowed upon me. According to his words, Captain Soi Fon was spotted with the enemy with the unfamiliar spiritual pressure. Not only that, but she protected him by defeating nearly her entire Stealth Force and then engaging in combat with the former 2nd Division Captain, Yoruichi Shihoin."

Soi Fon flinched upon hearing that name.

"… Are Captain Kuchiki's words correct, Captain Soi Fon?" The old man pressed on orderly.

The raven haired girl stared at him boldly, her teeth clenched tightly behind her pale lips. "… Yes, but—"

"I haven't the care for your foolish excuses," He boomed, Soi Fon's words halting in her throat under his stone cold gaze. "The truth is the only thing you can give me in this situation, so what is it?"

Soi Fon hesitated, heavy anxiety building in her heart. Her arms pressed tightly against her sides, her head hanging lower than ever. An abyss of shame washed over her as she spoke. "… Yes Head Captain; everything Captain Kuchiki spoke of was true."

She ignored the sudden stares of shock, confusion, and disbelief she was receiving. Some reflected anger as well, which she certainly didn't need. After all…

… _I threatened to kill the woman I always swore to protect. I hurt my own division members. I aided the enemy. Dammit… what the hell is wrong with me?_

"… I see," Yamamoto spoke after giving the matter some thought. "These events have turned out quite negatively. Captain Soi Fon, I hope you realize that you have broken the law. Not just once, but many times." Soi Fon bit her tongue, forcing herself to remain respectful to the powerful man above her. "You have disturbed the peace of the Soul Society, attacked allies of the Soul Society and your Stealth Force members, as well as protected an enemy who was able to deceive everyone into thinking he was a Soul Reaper in the Stealth Force.

"Unfortunately for you, Captain Soi Fon, it is impossible for me to turn a blind eye to the sins you have committed." Yamamoto continued.

Soi Fon's heart clenched in a nervous pain. _This…_ She thought, _… can't be happening to me!_ Her anger was close to dripping over the edge.

"I hereby sentence you into exile! However, I will allow you to keep your Soul Reaper powers because of how loyal and useful you have been to the Soul Society all these years."

Soi Fon cracked.

"_What?_" She yelled furiously, all manners and terms of respect forgotten. "You can't be serious, Head Captain! Everyone here knows how strongly I agree to following orders! I would never purposely do wrong to the Soul Society!"

"Indeed," Yamamoto agreed with a small nod, remaining calm despite how he was being treated. "Which is why I'm allowing you to keep your powers when I banish you to the Human World."

Soi Fon took a step back in horrified shock, the golden hoops tied to the end of her braids clanging together. "W-… What?"

The Head Captain gave Soi Fon no time to process his words. He was sick of his fellow Captains betraying him. "Therefore, as Head Captain, I remove your title as Captain of the 2nd Division and Leader of the Stealth Force, Soi Fon, and banish you to the Human World forever. And I warn you, that if you ever show up in the Soul Society again… we Soul Reapers will be forced to kill you."

Soi Fon's silver eyes widened. "No… this has to be another nightmare," She murmured to herself anxiously. "This can't be happening. This isn't real. This—hey! How dare you! Get your hands off me!"

She instantly struggled the moment Byakuya and Toshiro grabbed one of her arms. They forcefully ripped off her Captain's uniform, leaving her clad in the common Soul Reaper attire with her Stealth Force uniform underneath, white threads coating the floor around them as her yellow belt slipped off her waist.

_How dare they!_ Soi Fon glared at them both, swiping at them with her hands. _That haori belonged to… Yoruichi-sama…_

"Enough of this! Leave at once, Soi Fon!" The Head Captain ordered strictly, his voice loud and dangerous. His thick eyebrows were lowered, his small eyes representing the fire power of his ancient blade. "Leave, just as your Captain before you… and never return."

His words sparked a sadness and fear inside of her. Somehow, the Head Captain knew just what to say in order to break the last of her resolve. Her face was a mask of explicit emotions as a fearful bead of sweat rolled down her temple. But the moment the sweat departed from her face, so did her fear.

Her sadness was soon dulled by anger as well, leaving her as nothing but an explosive mess.

Soi Fon yelled heatedly, unleashing a barrage of vile curses that were barely even understandable. She shoved past Byakuya and Toshiro, neither of them even bothering to look at her. Unohana gazed at her sadly and pitifully as she stormed through the hallway, the other Captain's refusing to meet her intense gaze after feeling the amount of spiritual pressure her body was letting off.

Her violent spiritual energy completely annihilated the large doors to the Main Assembly Hall before she Shunpoed away. Only after she was gone did the other Captain's feel safe enough to breathe again.

"How unbecoming of one who was once a fellow Captain in the Gotei 13… to lose control of themselves like that," Byakuya remarked frostily, closing his orbs and returning to his formal position in the hall.

Toshiro allowed his beautiful blue-green eyes to linger on the yellow belt that now laid on the floor.

Shunsui lightly sighed, tipping his straw hat to cover his eyes. "My Third Seat, Tatsufusa Enjoji, isn't going to be happy about this… and I guess we'll need another repair man for the door…"

Ukitake coughed, his shoulders tensing in worry. "First Aizen, Gin, and Tosen… and now Soi Fon? It just doesn't add up…"

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, the atmosphere cold and unpleasant, Yamamoto slammed the end of his wooden cane on the ground, vocals spilling from his old lips.

"Ex-Captain Soi Fon is now an enemy of the Soul Society! No matter where you see her—the Soul Society, the Human World, and everywhere in between—kill her on sight!"

* * *

"Ah… I see. So that's what happened."

"Yeah," Ichigo nodded towards the dirty blonde haired man. "Soi Fon ended up being the Captain who was with the person with the strange spiritual pressure. She even fought Yoruichi to protect him."

Yoruichi looked away; Tessai frowned deeply; Urahara's eyes darkened. Kon and Ichigo both blinked at how suspicious the three of them were acting, but chose to brush it off as nothing.

"… I see," Kisuke hid the lower half of his face with his folding fan. "What else can you tell me about our mysterious new friend?"

"Well, from where I was standing, all I could tell was that he had dark green hair and that he was wearing a Stealth Force uniform. He was posing himself as one," Ichigo explained briefly. "And he had such a cocky attitude. God, what an asshole!"

Urahara chuckled lightly, lowering his fan. "What about his spiritual pressure?" He asked.

"Oh, right. Sorry, that jerk just really pissed me off," Ichigo glared at the table in remembrance before meeting Kisuke's gaze once again. "It was weird. He wasn't completely hiding it, but he wasn't giving off enough evidence to tell what he was. To me, personally, he just seemed like a regular Soul Reaper."

"He probably is a Soul Reaper," Kisuke agreed with a gentle nod, resting his stubbly chin within his palm. "But that doesn't solve the mystery of why he was with Soi Fon…"

Urahara paused, realizing how tense and silent Yoruichi was. In his heart he already knew why she was acting so distant, and it hurt to see his longtime best friend in that state. A large grin broke out on his face as he placed his hand upon Yoruichi's shoulder.

"Don't worry, Yoruichi," Urahara reassured jokingly. "He was probably just meeting with Soi Fon to get his catgirl porn back."

"Stop it, Kisuke," Yoruichi silenced him firmly, brushing off his large hand. His face fell when seeing none of Yoruichi's usual playfulness in her eyes. "I'm serious. I have a very bad feeling."

"A bad feeling?"

Yoruichi nodded slowly, hazily looking at the table as she clasped her hands together in her lap. "… I'm worried about Soi Fon."

Urahara's expression softened, allowing a small smile to grace his lips. "She'll be fine," He told her warmly. "She's a strong girl, you know."

"I know, Kisuke… I know."

Silence followed, and no one dared to say anything. Ichigo and Kon felt wrapped up in the uncomfortable atmosphere, staring blindly at any inanimate object. Tessai took a hesitant sip of his mint tea, the creamy scent filling the air. Yoruichi and Kisuke remained undoubtedly still, caught in a stare down of dull silver and gold.

Just then, a white light enveloped the small room in Urahara's Shop, everyone's eyes now alert to the doors of the Soul Society that had just appeared.

"Hmm… would you look at that," Urahara noted somewhat slyly, a small smile tugging at his lips. "It seems as though we have a visitor."

After the Japanese styled doors closed loudly and vanished, a black haired Soul Reaper now stood in its place. Kon's eyes lit up.

"Oh, hey there, Rukia," Ichigo greeted calmly, despite the tense atmosphere, raising his eyebrows. "Long time no see. How long has it been now… like an hour?"

"Be quiet, you fool! This is an emergency! Something terrible has happened!"

Ichigo's sarcastic humor died within his throat at how panic stricken his friend's voice was. Her violet eyes were wide with shock, anger, fear, and disbelief. Even sadness. It was odd to read so many intense emotions on Rukia's expression, which just got the orange haired boy all the more worried.

Everyone else watched her in concern as well, suspense clinging at their sides.

"Rukia… calm down. What happened?" Ichigo questioned. For some unexplainable reason, Yoruichi could feel her heart jump into her throat.

"… It's Captain Soi Fon! She's been exiled from the Soul Society! And if any ally to the Soul Society sees her… we've all been ordered to kill her on sight!"

Yoruichi could've sworn she felt her heart stop. It was pulsing pain instead of blood. She felt lightheaded, as if the world had stopped spinning for her. Her terribly astonished amber eyes gradually grew wider as Rukia's words echoed past her sore eardrums.

"What?" Ichigo flared, his fists clenched angrily. "You can't be serious, Rukia!"

"Yeah… this has to be a joke…" Yoruichi murmured to herself more than to anyone else. Her widened orbs were drawn to the table that she sat behind, her slender fingers gently tracing its wooden design unconsciously, as if seeking a distraction, or trying to find the truth. "… Please tell me this is just some kind of sick joke."

Taken aback by Yoruichi's tone, Rukia quieted her voice. "I am truly sorry… but it is true. Her exile was a decision made by the Head Captain himself. I wasn't ordered to inform you of this, but… I thought it would be best to let you know."

"Damn; this is a piss off. Like, really, what is Gramps thinking? That was such a stupid—huh? Yoruichi, what's wrong?"

Said woman was vaguely aware of Ichigo's words and of the fact that all eyes were on her as she stood up in shock, but she never gave a reply. Her orbs narrowed in overwhelming anger as she silently retired to her own room.

_No! This can't be happening! Everything I sacrificed… the very reason I didn't take…_ Yoruichi shook her head and lost herself to her thoughts once she was shrouded in privacy. _All I did has become in vain because of events that occurred in a mere hour. _Yoruichi lied down on her bed, closing her eyes tightly. _Obeying the laws of the Soul Society is all Soi Fon has ever known. What will she do without me… without rules to guide her? My poor little bee… she must feel as though she's lost everything. If that green haired bastard wasn't there, none of this would've happened! Just what's his relationship with Soi Fon, anyway?_

Yoruichi let out a frustrated sigh as she gripped the blankets beneath her. She opened her eyes halfway, topaz orbs staring sadly into her pillow.

_Or… maybe all of this is my fault. If I didn't tag along with Ichigo and Rukia to the Soul Society… maybe none of this would've happened…._

In the other room, Kisuke lowered his hat to hide his eyes.

* * *

Many poor civilians of a high numbered region in the Rukon District cowered in fear and closed their doors after they noticed the now ex-Captain of the 2nd Division roaming through their area, without her signature haori on. Because of this, very few recognized her, but everyone could understand the furious spiritual pressure that was flaring from her body.

Her teeth were clenched as her clouded silver eyes quietly observed her surroundings, except for a grunt or growl or two. The dirt walkways stunk like Hell, trash littered much of the ground, the sorry excuses of buildings were made from rotting wood and were falling apart, and the villagers' clothing consisted of no more than torn rags. But she was too blinded by anger to care about any of that. She was also aware of the fact that her wild spiritual pressure was probably crushing some of the civilians' weak souls by now.

She didn't care about that, either.

So many emotions were being pumped in her blood like poison, each equally as painful yet so difficult to describe. She honestly didn't know what to feel. Sadness caged over her from realizing she had lost the title and position that made her strong, the only thing that gave her life meaning.

The only other thing she fully understood was that the anger that consumed her now rivaled the anger she felt 100 years ago when Yoruichi betrayed her. At the moment, she couldn't tell which fire was brighter.

After all, she had just lost everything.

Without her title as Captain, she was nothing. She held no power, no status… no respect. She had nowhere to go and no home to return to. Technically, she was forbidden to even set foot in the Rukon District as it was part of the Soul Society, yet there she was, shattering more rules that she always swore to follow with unbreakable loyalty. Now… she was nothing but a weak, lonely little Soul Reaper who had no place in the world. … A nobody.

_I'm sure… that Yoruichi-sama… would be very displeased. How could I… have protected the enemy and lost my rank? How could I… have raised my fists to her?_

_(If you dare even _threaten_ him again… I'll kill you, Yoruichi-sama!)_

She shook her head, the remembrance of her sinful words scorching her throat and stinging her eyes. She forced herself to keep walking, even though her very bones were numb from the unforgivable crimes she had recently committed.

She guessed that she was probably in one of the 80th Districts of the Rukon District by the time she felt a mysterious spiritual pressure. Her eyes were half closed from thought as she glanced up in the clearing, noticing nothing and no one except for that man. The one with dark green hair.

He was dressed completely different from before, however, so much so that the only way to recognize him would be from his distinctive hair and eyes. He was now clad in a regular Shihakusho, except with a very noticeable difference. While most Soul Reaper uniforms consisted entirely of black fabric, instead, his kosode was white. His hakama were the traditional black colour, though. His shitagi was white along with his hakama-himo, yet his tabi were an unusual black, and he wore the standard waraji. A Zanpakuto with a green hilt and a long, horizontal diamond guard was tied along the left side of his waist. In truth, the only way to tell him apart from the average Soul Reaper—as he seemed to be a master at hiding his spiritual pressure—was from the fact that his shirt was white instead of black.

His forest green hair was wild and loose, swaying gently in the tense breeze, his ice blue eyes focused on the raven haired girl that was blindly walking towards him. A ghost of a smile passed his lips when silver eyes locked with his.

It took Soi Fon a few moments to register the man in her vision, but once she did, her eyes narrowed dangerously, like a hornet ready to sting you up your ass. Her shoulders trembled in anger, her arms thrust against her sides, sinister energy pooling out from her core, rotting nearby nature. Her uncontrollable fury only made him smirk. She marched up to him and exploded at him.

"How _dare_ you show your face in front of me again after what you did!"

"Me? What did I do?" He asked calmly and slyly, a tone she remembered all too well that it hurt to hear it. He was still smiling, like he usually did. His blue eyes twinkled mischievously.

"Stop playing dumb, you dick!" She roared, an inferno blazing behind her eyes. Her face was beginning to flush with anger. "Why the hell are you here? If you weren't there before, none of this would've happened! If it weren't for you, I would still be a Captain!"

"Technically, you know, I didn't do anything," He flashed a toothy grin, running a strong, bare hand through his lush hair. "I just stood there."

"Stop it! Just stop!" She yelled, nearly ready to break his jaw. "I haven't seen you for so long; you knew what my reaction would be if you approached me the way you did… you knew from the very beginning. And now, because you just _had_ to make an appearance before me after all this time with no warning at all and without completely controlling your spiritual pressure… the Soul Society has exiled me for protecting the enemy… which is you!"

"Hmm… the _entire_ Soul Society has exiled you? That would include the Rukon District, right? This is a dangerous area, then. So why are you here?" He frowned gently at her.

She looked away sharply, glaring daggers at the ground. She hated the feeling in her stomach.

"… Listen, Soi Fon," His voice and eyes softened, but she still winced upon hearing her name. "The Soul Society is just weak. They fear you for your choice of protecting me, siding with me, because they understand how strong you are. They realized how easily they could be defeated from the fact that a powerful Captain such as yourself was siding with a potential threat such as I inside of their bounds."

"I am not siding with you!" Soi Fon growled, boldly meeting his gaze. "I didn't side with you back there, either. I just…" Her eyes lowered. "… I didn't want you to get hurt…"

He smiled. "Thank you for protecting me, Soi Fon. To defend me against your own division… that was very kind of you."

She opened her mouth to reply, but her throat felt dry. No words came out.

The green haired man placed his hand upon her shoulder. "The Soul Reapers of the Soul Society are just a bunch of cowards, Soi Fon; you don't need them. You're better than them. Stronger than them. In the end, because of their fear and weakness, the Soul Society abandoned you… just as Yoruichi had."

Hearing that woman's name, especially in the meaning of that sentence, cause Soi Fon's heart and soul to ache intensely. She shut her eyes tightly, hoping to stop any emotions from appearing on her expression, while her mind was overwhelmed with built up sadness. Noticing her discomfort, he stroked soothing circles on her shoulder with his thumb.

… _He's right,_ Soi Fon thought sadly. _This man is right. Just as Yoruichi-sama had all those years ago… the Soul Society abandoned me as well. Betrayed me, despite how loyal I was. I was willing to do anything for Yoruichi-sama, go anywhere with her… and I possessed the same type of attitude towards the rules of the Soul Society. I punished anyone who disobeyed the law. I risked my life for the sake of upholding peace. Yet, even after everything I did for them… and for _her_… they threw me away like yesterday's lunch without a second thought._

"The Soul Society—and Yoruichi, for that matter—are a bunch of idiots for abandoning a skilled warrior like yourself," She heard him say. "Honestly, it's their loss. To me… you have gotten much stronger since the last time I saw you, Soi Fon. I'm very proud of you."

Soi Fon's body trembled from his words. _They all abandoned me… but this man… even though he left me as well… he came back for me. He's even talking to me like I'm a person… not a mere tool. And… he said he was proud of me…_

"Nofios…" The raven haired girl murmured under her breath as her silver eyes fluttered open after much thought.

Said man smirked, wrapping his warm arm around Soi Fon's shoulders, towering over her by almost a foot. His dark green hair covered most of his handsome face as he replied, "Glad you remember my name."

After a sickening cracking noise and a large flash of endless black, Soi Fon and Nofios transported to the Human World.

* * *

**Senkaimon: **the dimensional gateway which Soul Reapers use to enter and leave the Soul Society by unlocking it.

**Shihakusho: **the uniform that all Soul Reapers in the Gotei 13 are required to wear. This uniform distinguishes them from pluses and other spirits or spiritually aware humans. In the living world, a shihakusho also acts as in indicator of someone with Soul Reaper powers.

**Shitagi: **a type of shirt donned by Samurai (Soul Reapers in this case) when they are wearing full armor (undergarments).

**Kosode: **a basic Japanese robe for both men and women (over shirt).

**Hakama: **Pleated, loose split-leg garments largely used in men's formal dress, worn over the kosode or kimono (pants).

**Hakama-himo: **waist ties, or belts, worn on the hakama (belt).

**Tabi: **socks with a separation for the big toe; worn with sandals by the Japanese (socks).

**Waraji: **straw rope sandals (shoes).

**Yes, I gave my OC's name away now… Nofios ^^ 3 more OC's are being introduced next chapter—and yes, they are important characters in this story, so they will grow on you, I'm sure XD**

**Poor Yoruichi and Soi Fon, eh? Things don't seem too hot for them right now, huh? Well… that's why this story is a drama. To have twists and turns and suspenseful breaks at every corner.**

**And just in case you're wondering why I made Shunsui mention his Third Seat, Tatsufusa Enjoji… it's because he has a crush on Soi Fon… like in the actual Bleach series XD Don't worry, I think it's weird, too.**

**Anyway… I hope you guys enjoyed Chapter 2. Reviews make my day and inspire me to write more, so… please review guys! Thanks! :)**


	3. Masked Faces of Three

**Thank you to all my reviewers, alerters, and favouriters XD Now, on to Chapter 3 without anymore hesitation!**

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* * *

**

**Chapter 3 – Masked Faces of Three**

"_Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting.__"_ –Ralph Waldo Emerson.

~ YSYSYS ~

"Damn… the spiritual energy is so thin in the Human World. It's frustrating how much weaker I suddenly feel."

A small smile graced the dark green haired man's lips as he observed through playful eyes Soi Fon as she stretched her muscles and frowned at her limbs. To others, seeing the raven haired girl without her haori on would be a strange and unfamiliar sight. She looked just like a regular Soul Reaper, one who was merely striving for power instead of actually owning it.

But this was just as Nofios remembered her. She was just as stubborn and quick-tempered as ever.

"It's good to see you haven't changed," He remarked teasingly. "Have you seriously never been to the Human World before?"

Silver orbs hardened in a fierce glare. She remembered that teasing tone all too well… and it reminded her far too much of her former master.

Yoruichi… was the _last_ person she wanted to think about right now.

"Of course I have," Soi Fon replied sharply. "It's just been awhile since I've been here."

He offered a smile. "Don't worry about the spiritual energy here," He reassured. "You'll get used to it after awhile. Try to think of it as a challenge when training."

She gave him a rough look. "But I feel so much weaker here."

"That's true…" He agreed, "… for now. But imagine what it will feel like once you feel strong here. You'll feel like a true god once you return to the Soul Society where the spiritual energy is much thicker."

"'Return to the Soul Society'? Are you deaf or something?" Soi Fon replied harshly. "I just told you that I've been exiled. _Banished_. I can never return to the Soul Society now. To do so would be suicide."

Soi Fon stared into his eyes which held an emotion that she couldn't quite place. It appeared to be a wide blankness mixed with a seed of determination, but that was merely a guess. Normally she didn't have too much trouble reading people, and it annoyed her to no end that this man was one of the two people that she could never fathom what they were thinking. This only added to his mystery.

The ex-Captain continued to gaze at him, searching for answers that were impossible to find. Her mind slowly began to wander as she unconsciously observed the perplexities of his face. His jaw was so strong and firm, yet his smile was so warm and kind. There were no scars or bruises anywhere on his head, despite how many countless battles he must've fought as a Soul Reaper. His ice blue eyes were extremely beautiful. Soi Fon knew there was some pain behind his eyes—there was pain behind everyone's eyes—but there was something so heartwarming about his playful gaze that it made that very muscle of hers skip a beat and made her stomach twist with nervousness.

His hair was so dark that it blended in with the air of the night, accenting the pale skin of his face which seemed to glow under moonlight's wake. He was so handsome and charming… an angel of darkness. A majorly impish one that perhaps made a deal with the devil.

Soi Fon looked away after she realized what she was thinking. She had let her guard down, which was a foolish move. What if something drastic had happened?

A loud snap of Nofios's fingers nearly made Soi Fon jump out of her skin. She gazed at him in an odd confusion, but he calmly made a motion with his head to look forward. She obliged to this, only now noticing the environment she was incased in. A dark, constricted alley—one that was free of all vermin and people, but it was still creepy all the same. She could still see some tall buildings and flashing lights over the abyss of walls, though, proving that Nofios didn't transport her to the middle of nowhere.

Suddenly, the dirt ground before them began to shake and tremble. Soi Fon took a step back in surprise, carefully observing the dust, pebbles, and dirt particles that were circling her feet. She watched in silence as the area in front of her shook more violently before a circle of ground dissolved into nothingness that extended in width to the side walls. It was about two metres in length.

The decent sized hole in the ground was so deep that Soi Fon couldn't see where it ended. It appeared to be a meaningless pit of shadows.

The raven haired girl was about to ask Nofios what the point of that was when a magical stairway gradually faded into view. Each individual stair was somewhat transparent, but was also highlighted with a rainbow tinge along its edges. The top stair touched the very tip of the hole and swirled deep into the underground world.

Soi Fon's lips parted in a mixture of puzzlement and astonishment. "How did you do that?" She asked him.

"How?" Nofios repeated with a grin. "I'm Chuck Norris. I can do anything."

Soi Fon raised an eyebrow, forming a confound expression. "Huh? Who?"

The dark green haired man chuckled gently to himself. "Never mind. Let's go."

The petite woman was extremely cautious as Nofios wrapped his arm over her shoulders and guided her down the stairs. Even though it looked like you would just fall through them, they were surprisingly quite solid and sturdy despite not being supported by anything visible. Soi Fon quickly glanced upwards after hearing a gawky melting noise that represented the dirt refilling the hole from above, completing the ground. The night sky was no longer in her vision.

Soi Fon stuck close to Nofios and walked his pace, just in case. This place was hidden from all helpful eyes, plus it was super dark, besides the soft illumination of the rainbow stairs, but that barely counted for anything.

"Where exactly are you leading me?" The ex-Captain asked. Their soft footsteps pulsed within a pattern in her ears, the only thing that pushed back the deafening silence.

He merely smiled. "You'll see."

A few more minutes of walking passed by uneventfully before Soi Fon could finally see the final step. She was thankful to survey the ground again. She was cautious as she stepped off the final stair, her feet automatically noticing the difference in ground texture. The stairs had been smooth and solid, but this new layout was more rocky and rough. Her silver eyes glanced around curiously, her vision enhanced gratefully from the gentle golden glow from the lights on the ceiling, and noted that this area looked like a one-way cave. Soi Fon cocked an eyebrow.

This was just getting stranger every minute.

"Why are we travelling so suspiciously far underground? Are you guiding me to the sanctuary of a cult or something?" She questioned more sarcastically than she meant to.

His calm laughter removed any tension in the air, alike to the sound of bells on a jolly Christmas morning. "Nothing of the sort," He replied once his chuckles subsided. "I'm just taking you to meet my family."

"Your family? I thought you told me before that you had no relatives left."

"These family members… aren't blood related."

"Oh…"

The conversation was dead after that, and neither person made an attempt to revive it.

The tunnel of which they travelled seemed to stretch on forever, making the journey far more awkward. When Soi Fon turned her head to look over her shoulder, she could no longer see the rainbow coloured stairs.

_Man… does this tunnel ever end?_ Her thoughts grumbled in annoyance.

Uneasiness abruptly poked at her sides the instant she felt a new presence in the area, her head turning back around sharply, golden rings clashing together before settling behind her clothed back.

From where she currently was, the figure standing at the end of the tunnel was a mere dot. As she moved closer, however, more details fixed into place. This person's hair was lilac coloured and was in a bob cut fashion, radiating quite the feminine charm. They were clad in a white kimono type of outfit, except that the sleeves were tight against their arms rather than loose, and the skirt section only reached to their knees. The edges of the outfit were made with a simple black fabric, and there was a slit on the left side of the skirt that reached up to their mid thigh, granting more freedom. There were small, thin slits on the outer wrist sections of the outfit, as well as a black stripe running from the neck area down the centre of their chest, ending at the black belt tied firmly around their waist. A shiny fuchsia pink buckle complimented the middle of the belt, consisting of many beautiful and complicated designs. A golden shoulder pad was worn on their right shoulder, as well as white pants underneath the skirt part of the outfit. Simple white boots coated their feet that had purple circling the ending fabric, and the bottom of the boots were made out of gold.

A few more steps forward, and even finer details became visible.

Despite how feminine the person looked, Soi Fon could now see how flat the person's chest was. Too flat and strong for a girl, plus their chin was quite defined and their face was surprisingly handsome, even though their eyes were closed. This person was for sure a male.

Two dark purple triangle markings descended from his right eye, the inward one being slightly longer. He was taller than Soi Fon was, but not nearly as tall as Nofios—pretty much caught in between. A small, yet threatening spike curved upwards from his shoulder pad, made from the same golden texture. Many silver bracelets dangled from his left wrist, along with his sharp nails being painted purple. He possessed a sword as well. It was worn on the left side of his waist, secure in place from his belt. It had a golden, diamond guard and its grip was violet.

A pretty abnormal looking man, to say the least.

Then he opened his eyes, slowly and dramatically, orbs of unmatchable beauty and charm matching the colour of his fancy belt buckle. They reflected a strong and frightening seriousness, as if guarding something—but the instant he noticed who was walking towards him, those attributes morphed drastically. A smile lit up his face, brightening his features, as his eyes looked overjoyed and shined in fulfillment.

"N-Nofios, you've returned! Welcome home!" The lilac haired man's voice was smooth and charming despite his stutter, respect and a happy excitement laced within it.

"Yes… it's been five years…" Nofios stopped walking once he was in front of the handsome young man, causing Soi Fon to stop by his side. Said girl suddenly felt very awkward, as if she was completely out of place. "Thank you for guarding the door all this time, Araharu. I'm proud of you—and because of the fact that you have ceased adding the sama suffix to the end of my name."

"Well," The man with fuchsia coloured eyes chuckled gently. "You did say how you're not exactly fond of formalities."

Nofios smiled warmly at the smaller boy. "Indeed."

Soi Fon's eyes widened at their words.

* * *

_A young female guard knelt on the floor, her head bowed respectfully low as the warmth from the sunset in the background flowed around her body in soothing waves. "Soi Fon reporting, Your Excellency Madam Commander." Her voice was strictly formal._

_The chocolate skinned woman who was being addressed smiled gently. "Oh, you're here. Have they explained everything?" The woman's voice held a playful tone._

"_Yes. I, Soi Fon, will give my mind and body to protect Your Excellency—"_

"_Don't be so formal."_

_Soi Fon's heart skipped a beat. She looked up at her goddess after being interrupted. _

_The violet haired woman leaned on her right arm to support her upper body weight, the opposite arm elegantly poised in the air as if offering something. "Quit that 'Your Excellency.' You can address me more familiarly. Like 'Yoruichi-san' or something." _

_Soi Fon appeared taken aback. "I-I dare not think of it!" She stuttered in a flustered surprise. "Speaking so to Your Excellency would…"_

_The almost sad look in Yoruichi's eyes caused Soi Fon's words to die in her throat. She opened her mouth to reply, but hesitated, closing her eyes to think of what to say—and to calm her rapidly beating heart. Her silver eyes fluttered halfway open, a blush caressing the skin of her cheeks that seemed to glow beneath the care of the Sun. "W-Well then, may I call you… 'Yoruichi-sama?'"_

"_Hah!" Yoruichi laughed with her head back—it was the most hilarious and outrageous sound, actually—before looking back at the young girl with a nearly disappointed gaze. "You sure are a stuffed shirt." But despite the lyrics in her voice and the look in her eyes, her tone was more teasing than anything. "Well fine, call me what you like." The next time Soi Fon looked up at her, the chocolate skinned woman featured a smile, her eyes practically shining with friendly, yet fierce, determination. "I called you here because I recognized your strength. What you call me doesn't matter. I'm expecting good things from you, Soi Fon!"_

_Said girl's whole face lit up with happiness. "Yes, ma'am!"_

_Silver eyes of a little bee stared into the golden ones of her goddess as everything seemed perfect in the world._

_

* * *

_

She felt her body flinch at the memory, and only hoped that the others wouldn't notice. Thankfully, they didn't.

The lilac haired boy stepped aside after flashing a warm smile to Nofios, now posed in a respectful bow, an arm crossed over his chest. It was only now that Soi Fon noticed the end of the rocky, constricted tunnel were these large, twin steel doors—so tall that even if she stood on Nofios's shoulders, they could still walk through them without any problems. Within moments, the doors swung open slowly and silently, revealing Nofios's home.

Soi Fon followed Nofios inside, and as she walked past the lilac haired man, he smirked at her playfully and offered a wink. A deep frown matted Soi Fon's expression; she really didn't like the look in his eyes. It made her think as if he could see right through her, like he knew everything about her, which made the ex-Captain extremely uncomfortable merely being in his presence.

The moment she was fully past the doors, however, her anger was quickly replaced by bewilderment; her lips parted slightly in surprise. A gentle grin spread across Nofios's face, amused by her reaction to his home.

This place was actually quite homey, despite its odd placement underground. In fact, this place was so well built that you couldn't even tell that you just ventured here from a cave. No more rocky walls were in sight—and neither was the rocky ceiling. No longer was the disgusting smell of dead maggots infesting the ex-Captain's nose; this place was smoothed by the delightful scent of sweet oranges, making it all the more warm and inviting.

The gyprock walls were painted an angelic white-beige, decorated by several different paintings with golden frames. The carpet was soft under Soi Fon's feet, shaded maroon in colour. The room she was in at the moment simply seemed to be a seating or gathering room; the carpet she stood upon coated the floor and there was a decent sized seating area in the centre of the room. Three white linen chairs and a red wool couch surrounded a rectangular glass table, of which had a few pink tulips resting upon it comfortably, incased in a thin, purple vase. In the far corner of the room there was a wooden desk, stacks of lined paper piling the left side while a black laptop sat in the centre.

Off to the right, the carpet seemed to stretch on into a room with no door which Soi Fon guessed was the living room. She swore she caught a glance in the corner of her eye of a wide screen TV that was hanging on the wall.

The dashing carpet ended at the left wall, being replaced by mahogany hardwood floorboards that covered the entire kitchen and dining room.

She looked forward, noticing two doors. One was open, the other was not. From the one that was opened, she could see a large bed that was inside, so she guessed both of them were bedrooms.

Even if this house was only one floor… it was absolutely stunning in Soi Fon's eyes. It held an atmosphere of profanity and respect, but she couldn't help a suddenly relaxed feeling from washing over her.

"Welcome home, Nofios. It's been a long time. We're glad to see you're safe and well."

Soi Fon's reflexes nearly made her Shunpo away at the sound of the two voices that spoke in harmony. She glanced forward, her silver eyes confirming the two new males that were bowing before Nofios of whom was still positioned beside her.

… _When the hell did they get there? _Soi Fon wondered, somewhat in frustration. _I didn't even sense them approach._

"Thank you," Nofios replied. "It has been a long time, Boys. I've missed you."

"As have we," The young men spoke in sync once again, now standing up straight. Their eyes shifted from the dark green haired man to the raven haired girl beside him, staring in curiosity. This was the first time an outsider had visited their home, let alone a female.

"Ah… I guess some friendly introductions are in order," Nofios chuckled calmly. "Soi Fon…" He grasped her shoulder gently, using his other arm to gesture towards one of the men. "This is Emihiro."

Said man's eyes practically lit up at the mention of her name. "It's so nice to finally meet you!" His voice was very cheerful and optimistic, something heartwarmingly kind about it. But it only made Soi Fon raise an eyebrow. "I hope we can become really good friends."

Soi Fon never gave a verbal response but instead simply nodded her head, taking this precious time to study his features. His face held a more innocent, feminine shape than the man from before, and his skin was much paler—almost as if made from porcelain. There was a unique lime green streak across his nose, ending in the middle of each of his cheeks. His crimson mane reached to his mid-back, a yellow ribbon tied to the bottom of it cutely, along with wild bangs that covered his entire forehead, ending right before they crossed his eyes. His orbs were gorgeous amber depths, just like… hers….

Soi Fon bit down on her tongue harshly, forcing the painful memories away.

Emihiro's outfit was similar to the one the man from earlier was wearing, mainly in colour. He wore a long-sleeved white shirt with wide, loose sleeves, black circling the ending fabric on his wrists and neck. A thick black belt was worn over his shoulder and wrapped around the side of his body in a circle. The belt had three tiny triangular shaped pouches on the area above his chest. Soi Fon guessed they held knives or some other sort of small weapons. A black belt also wrapped around his waist that had a small beige pouch hooked onto the right side. He was clad in white shorts that ended just before his knees, black circling the ending fabric. He wore tall, white boots that ended just above his knees with iron circles guarding his kneecaps, the colour of the foot garments fading to red as it approached the bottom of the boots. The soles of the boots were onyx. He wore a special white glove on his right hand that had many indescribable black symbols engraved within it. On the back of the glove there was a circular sapphire, kept in place with a golden crust. This man had a sword as well, just like the other one. It was worn on the right side his waist, secure from his belt, with a golden, circular guard and an amber grip.

The red haired man knew full well that she was examining him, but he didn't mind in the slightest. It just made him smile the longer she stared. Once her mind was satisfied with his image, she locked eyes with him once again, shivered involuntarily, before shifting her gaze to the other man beside him.

"Soi Fon," Nofios began again. "This is Awasira."

"A pleasure," The man replied in a respectful and mature tone, gently bowing to the shorter woman before him. He obviously was aware of the fact that she used to possess the title of Captain, and he was showing her the respect she deserved for it. She already felt fonder of him than the other two.

His hair was a mysterious navy blue and stuck upwards, waving off slightly to the right side. His smooth skin was quite pale as well, and he had a dark blue line that began just under the right side of his lower lip that extended to underneath his jaw where it could no longer be seen. His eyes were a dazzling emerald green, expressing a caring and protective charm. His obvious maturity amongst his peers shone through them as well.

Awasira wore an open white vest, the holes for the arms slightly ripped and ragged, black on the fabric just around his neck, down the left side of his chest, and right on the waistline of the outfit. His strong, handsome chest and abs along with his biceps and triceps were bare. A thin stringed necklace hung around his neck with the Japanese symbol for 'Love' in the middle made out of pure emeralds. Long, white, fingerless gloves covered his hands that reached past his elbows. He also wore a pair of ebony armguards that covered his outer wrists, almost reaching his elbow, with a blue spike that curved upwards on each of them. A black belt was tied firmly around his waist. He was clad in long white pants that had pockets, black on the ending fabric near his ankles. He wore white boots that almost reached his knees except that his pants removed them from sight, the soles of the boots being silver. He possessed a sword just like the others, and it was worn on the left side of his waist, secure in place from his belt. It had a golden, square guard and its grip was blue.

He appeared more physically strong than the other two men, and despite his maturity, he almost appeared as if he was… a bit younger than the other two.

Steel doors suddenly slammed shut, and the man who was guarding the door walked forward and stood beside his partners, giving Soi Fon and Nofios full view of all three of them.

"And in case you weren't listening closely before, Soi Fon, this last one here is Araharu."

The lilac haired man smirked. "Hey there, Cutie," He began unbelievably playfully. "Why haven't I seen you around before?"

The silver eyed girl frowned at him, which made the boy laugh.

But then Soi Fon noticed something that she was blind to before… and now that she noticed it, she couldn't help but curse her stupidity. Araharu had chalky bone remains on his left cheek, consisting of three large fangs, the point of them ending by his mid-neck. Emihiro had two small white bone horns curving upwards from either side of his head, connected with a bone that wrapped around the back of his head like a headband. Awasira had a rectangular shaped pearl bone covering the upper left corner of his face, ending at his left ear, an oval shaped hole within it so that he could see.

Soi Fon's eyes widened in uncertainty and confusion.

_These boys… they're… Hollows!_

Nofios hid his smile. Soi Fon was a smart girl, and judging from how her shoulders suddenly tensed up, she now understood the race of his young boys. He was also happy that she didn't attack them yet.

He wrapped his strong arm around the raven haired girl's neck, loosely gripping her opposite shoulder. "C'mon, Soi Fon," He offered. "Let me show you around my home."

She never said anything; she merely let herself be guided.

They walked off to the right, entering a room that had no door. "This is the living room," Nofios announced. Soi Fon nodded lightly, still taken aback at her realization. The room did in fact have a wide screen TV attached to the wall, with many game systems and controllers piled underneath it. A large couch and two chairs were in the room, seated at a comfortable distance away from the TV, along with a polished wooden coffee table before them, allowing people to rest their feet or place food and drinks. Antique white coloured walls still surrounded the decent sized area, the maroon carpet extending to the corners of the room.

They walked off in the exact opposite direction shortly thereafter. "Now we're heading to the kitchen… but I guess that's kinda obvious," Araharu chuckled as they walked on.

The floor they now stood upon was made of mahogany hardwood. It was gorgeously designed and modeled, and it felt smooth under Soi Fon's feet. A steel fridge was attached to the wall, followed by a matching stainless steel stove and dishwasher. Wooden counters were beside the large, electronic devices, one with a stainless steel sink, another with a microwave oven, while others remained empty for cooking space. Cupboards hung securely above the counters, expensive and delicate looking kitchenware placed above them, too high for Soi Fon to reach without flying.

The dining room was one with the kitchen, attached using the same walls and floorboards. A modern dining table was surrounded by six similarly designed chairs, one on each end, two on each side. Small white cloths with interesting forest green designs were placed before each chair on the table, expressing a more elegant and profound look, so much so that it nearly made Soi Fon uncomfortable when comparing it to where she used to eat dinner so long ago. Her family never even owned a dining table.

The five people returned to the main room. Soi Fon raised her arm slightly, her finger pointing to the two doors on the north side of the room, specifically to the one with the open door. "Alright," She said quietly. "And that room is—"

"—My room," Nofios concluded for her. "Yet… the door is open…" He looked over his shoulder at the males behind him. "Boys, why is the door to my room open?" A smirk crossed his features. "Were one of you guys sneaking around in there right before I got here?"

"Certainly not, Nofios," Araharu replied with a warm voice, but the seriousness could be seen in his eyes. Right away, Soi Fon could tell that the lilac haired man wished to do nothing to upset Nofios. "Actually, when you left five years ago, you forgot to close the door behind you."

"And out of respect," Emihiro continued with a small smile. "We decided to just leave your door the way it was. None of us have gone in there since you left."

"Ah… I see. Yeah, forgetting to close the door… that sounds like something I would do," He chuckled. "But still, thank you guys for not snooping around in there. Personal stuff is personal stuff, after all, even to family. So thanks for respecting that."

"No problem at all, Nofios," All three boys responded in unison with a bow.

"Guys, Guys… c'mon now," Nofios said whimsically with a wave of his hand. "You know that I dislike the bowing just as much as I dislike the sama suffix."

"Yes. We apologize, Nofios," They replied firmly, standing up straight.

Soi Fon shivered. _That bastard lied; they sure sound like a freaking cult to me… it would probably be wise not to piss them off… for now._

"Okay…" Soi Fon said, some uneasiness in her voice. Nofios squeezed her shoulder. "So if that's your room, Nofios, then that room—"

"—Is Araharu's."

The silver eyed girl glared at Emihiro, fault to a force of habit. Everyone surely enjoyed interrupting her today, and it was beginning to tick her clock.

He continued nonetheless, nothing destroying his cheerful demeanor. "The room beside his is mine, and the one beside mine is Awasira's."

"But… I don't see anymore doors—"

Wordlessly, Awasira gripped her hand, breaking her out of Nofios's hold, and gently dragged her across the room. Once in front of Araharu's room, he turned her to the right so she could look down the hallway, now noticing the two doors meant to be the rooms of Emihiro and Awasira. In fact, there were two other doors as well—one beside Awasira's, and one on the end of the hallway—she just couldn't notice these four doors before because they were blocked by a wall in the main room.

Once she nodded in understanding, Awasira led her back to the rest of the group.

"Why… are you letting me see all this?" Soi Fon asked somewhat hesitantly, but with a daring chill in her voice, once she again stood in front of the green haired man.

The addressed man of the question chuckled. "Well, isn't it common courtesy to show visitors around your home for the first time? … Especially one who's as important as you?"

She frowned slightly at his response.

"I trust you, Soi Fon. I know you won't betray me, seeing as you protected me earlier. Besides, my lair here is surrounded by a powerful barrier, making it undetectable, and the walls to my home are created from the combined spiritual energy of my Arrancars and I, making it virtually unbreakable to any Soul Reaper—or other spiritual being."

"… I see," The raven haired girl responded in a low voice.

Nofios smiled. "Obviously, you are welcome to stay with us if you want."

Her gaze sharpened considerably. "What if I don't want to?"

"Why would you _not_ want to?" Araharu replied without missing a beat, a wide smirk on his expression. "You'd get to be with four hot guys!"

Soi Fon made a disgusted face at the Arrancar, concerning what he said… and what he is. She was fully aware at how much she was staring at the remains of his Hollow mask now… she just couldn't seem to fathom how she didn't notice it before, or even sense it.

Araharu blinked innocently at the look he was receiving. "… Oh, wait, never mind; now I get it. You're gay, aren't you?" He smiled slightly, his tone full of teasing. "Is that why you're not turned on by me—and my friends?"

Soi Fon blushed furiously at his assumption. "E-Excuse me?"

The three Hollows laughed friskily at her angry reaction.

Nofios chuckled at bit as well before grasping her shoulder once again. "Your sexuality doesn't really matter, Soi Fon," He told her kindly. "I'm just happy you still blush the way you did before. It's super adorable."

"Shut up…" She growled, which just made them all laugh more.

"Oh boy… anyways," Nofios started after letting out a deep breath to calm his giggle fit. "Now that you've seen my home and met my family, Soi Fon, let's go take a walk together. We have much to talk about."

The raven haired girl nodded slowly in agreement. "We do."

"Alright, one moment then…" Nofios requested as he walked into his room, closing the door behind him.

"… So," Emihiro started cheerfully, not enjoying the awkward silence that appeared the moment his master left. "When did you first meet Nofios, Soi Fon?"

"Um…" She started softly, her eyes glazing over for a moment as she refreshed her memory. "I think it's been… about 50 years now." Silver eyes met amber after awhile. She shivered once again. "… What about you guys?"

"… We all have our stories," Araharu stated, Soi Fon's eyes flickering to him. "We all met him at different times, but it was all within a decade."

"Later on we'll let you know the whole story about how Nofios met with all of us," Awasira concluded.

Soi Fon nodded at this, not saying another word.

The door to Nofios's room creaked open not a minute later, his body emerging. Soi Fon raised an eyebrow gently at the change of clothes on his body. Nofios smiled.

An unzipped dark green jacket coated his arms and back, a thin white T-shirt covering his torso that had a black skull design on it. An onyx belt wrapped around his waist and he wore a pair of navy blue jeans. The pants had small rips over the knee areas, and the outfit was completed with black ankle length boots.

He walked up to her, and Soi Fon was about to ask why he simply changed his clothes, but then she realized how distant his spiritual pressure was. It wasn't that he himself was hiding it… it was forcibly being hidden. Right now, it almost felt like… he was human.

"You seem confused," Nofios stated gently in Soi Fon's direction. "Don't worry; I'm just in my Gigai right now. I want you to get in your Gigai as well."

"… Why should I?" Soi Fon asked a tad roughly.

Nofios's eyes softened. "When you see the beautiful world, I want the world to see your beauty, too."

She opened her mouth to reply, about to say how it would be smarter to stay entirely hidden, but the words got caught in her throat. She lost the will to debate against him… and the fuzzy feeling she felt in her stomach made it hard to think rationally.

The green haired man smiled at the look upon her face. "Your Gigai is in your room."

"Thanks…" She said absentmindedly, taking a few steps forward before she looked back at them. "… Which door leads to my room again?"

"Fifth one to the right," Awasira reminded her.

She nodded at this, not bothering to voice her thanks.

"Oh, one more thing," Nofios mentioned. "Your Gigai will be naked when you first get into it. Your closet is full of a variety of clothes, though, so take your time picking your outfit."

A light blush spread across her cheeks at the beginning of his statement, but it morphed into something else at the end. "My closet… is already full of clothes?" She asked. Nofios nodded. "… You planned on bringing me here right from the very beginning, didn't you?"

"Of course I did," Nofios replied with a wink. "I'd feel too uneasy if you stayed anywhere else."

With a sigh, Soi Fon speed walked to her room, practically slamming the door behind her.

The short girl flicked the light switch on to save herself from absolute darkness before leaning her back against the door for a moment, letting out a deep breath and closing her eyes. Her heart was beating irregularly and a weird feeling tingled all over her body.

Many things were just happening too fast. She finally got Nofios back in her life, but then she lost her title as Captain. She got exiled from the Soul Society, and now she would be living with Nofios… and those three mysterious boys.

Soi Fon frowned. The fact that they were Hollows still bothered her. They seemed too friendly to be Hollows. Just what was their relationship with Nofios, anyway? … She couldn't come up with any significant answer, but surely three Vasto Lorde class Hollows wouldn't be so respectful to a Soul Reaper if there wasn't a good reason.

She reopened her silver eyes after giving herself a moment to relax and think. The walls of her room were painted a light lilac colour and the carpet was pitch black. A single bed with golden-yellow blankets was placed against the north wall—which her naked Gigai was lying on, making her fluster slightly. A wooden dresser with a lamp was right beside the bed, the only source of light in the room. A full body mirror hung on the east wall, shining slightly from the light. A wooden desk and chair was up against the south wall, blank papers and writing utensils placed on the desk. Beside this desk was also a black vertical sword display stand. Soi Fon figured that Nofios probably placed it there so that she could leave Suzumebachi there when she didn't need her.

On the west wall was a twin pair of doors, which Soi Fon guessed guarded the closet. Curious enough, she walked up to the closet and opened the doors, her eyes widening slightly at the overly large selection of clothes inside. Shirts, coats, dresses, shorts, skirts, pants, boots, socks, undergarments… practically everything consisted in there. She wasn't sure where to start.

Still feeling unsure, she looked away and just dug her right hand into the endless folds of many different fabrics, wrapping her fingers around a random one and pulling it out. Soi Fon frowned in confusion, and something close to anger, as she glared at the baby blue skirt she held.

_What the hell is this? This thing is so short, it wouldn't even cover my…_

Shaking her head, she quickly threw the offending garment to the very back of the closet before continuing her search for an appropriate outfit that suited her tastes.

Back in the main room, Nofios, Emihiro, and Awasira all observed Araharu as he began to tiptoe his way down the dark hallway that led to the light pouring from underneath Soi Fon's closed door.

"Araharu!" Emihiro scolded with a frown. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

"Shh!" Araharu quieted him immediately, pressing a finger against his lips. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her."

"Don't peek at her, Araharu! What has she ever done to you?"

"Oh calm down, Emihiro. I'm just a young boy who's curious to the unknown," The lilac haired boy continued with a smirk as he continued silently towards Soi Fon's room.

Emihiro let out a frustrated sigh, sitting down in one of the white chairs.

Awasira gazed in curiosity at Nofios. "Why haven't you stopped him yet?" He asked.

The ice blue eyed man chuckled calmly and closed his eyes, resting his hands coolly in the empty pockets of his jeans. "Just wait."

Awasira frowned in confusion, but remained silent as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Araharu's grin grew the closer he got to Soi Fon's door. He reached his arm out, his fingers just ready to graze her door handle, when he heard:

"You'll lose that hand if you move it another inch… you pervert."

A bead of nervous sweat from being caught rolled down his temple, a weak squeak parting his lips, and Emihiro could be heard laughing his ass off from the other room.

"… HOW THE HELL DID YOU HEAR ME?" Araharu yelled, blood flushing his cheeks as he banged on her door with his fist.

"In my ears, your footsteps are louder than a herd of elephants," Soi Fon retorted from the other side of the door. "It's 1000 years too early for you to escape my hearing."

"Goddammit…" The fuchsia eyed man grumbled to himself, walking in defeat back to the main room, his shoulders slumped over. He looked over to see Emihiro on the ground, clutching his sides. "Shut up, Emihiro!"

The red haired man only laughed harder.

Awasira snickered as well. "Thank you for not stopping him," Awasira said to Nofios with a small smile. "That was quite funny."

"Wasn't it?" Nofios agreed with a large smirk, his head automatically turning once he heard Soi Fon's door open and then close, her body now visible from the opening in the hallway.

She had an annoyed look on her face—and it certainly wasn't just from her new articles of clothing. She was now clad in a dark green tank top that tied around the back of her neck with twin strings of fabric, leaving her tone shoulders and arms exposed. She wore a black mid-thigh length skirt along with black leather boots that nearly reached her knees. She kept her hair in her trademark braids.

"… You look great," Nofios divulged truthfully, his voice warm.

"I don't care how I look!" Soi Fon barked back to him. "God, this thing is so heavy… I feel even _weaker_ than I did before!" She was defiantly exasperated about being trapped in a Gigai. "I probably can't even fly like this…"

"That's right, you can't," Nofios stated. "When in that Gigai, you are just another human being that exists in this world. No powers, no flight, no otherworldly abilities… you are just a regular human, who can now be seen by other humans and animals on this planet."

The silver eyed girl sighed in frustration, not taking any comfort or enjoyment from what he told her. "This is such a nuisance…"

"You shouldn't view it as such a bad thing," Nofios told her gently. "This is what humans have to go through everyday. They are free of special powers… they are weak and normal. They are both fortunate and unfortunate—but they take what they get and make the best of it. Seeing life through the eyes of a human… living life in their shoes, even if just for a short time… it's a beautiful thing, really."

Soi Fon stared at the ground, absorbing everything he said.

"One more question before we go," Nofios changed the subject, not wanting things to get too serious for too long. After all, this was the true beginning for his family—and now Soi Fon was a part of it. He wanted everything to go calmly and smoothly, to be able to laugh, love, and enjoy the lives they've been blessed with. "Boys, how much food do we have here?"

"Uh… none, actually, Nofios," Araharu responded, refusing to look Soi Fon in the eye for now. "You ate the last of it when you left five years ago."

Soi Fon raised an eyebrow at them.

"We're Hollows," Emihiro reminded her, noticing the confusion in her eyes, standing up from the ground. "We don't eat human food. It does nothing for our bodies. The only thing we can eat to keep us healthy and energized is other souls."

Soi Fon tensed slightly at this, glaring into his amber orbs, but looked away once again. It was just too hard for her to stare into his eyes… eyes that reminded Soi Fon way too much of _her_.

"Hmm… well that's no good," Nofios said. "Even if you guys don't have to eat, Soi Fon and I do, even if it's not that often. And since I'm lazy and reeeeaaaaally don't feel like going to the grocery store… Araharu, Emihiro, mind going shopping for us?"

Emihiro blinked. "… Now?"

Nofios blankly stared at the feminine man with the lime green streak. "… No, in 20 years once I've married my unicorn in Alaska. Yes now!"

This made Araharu laugh as he placed his hand on his hip. "Heh… well, alright. I'm up to jacking some grub for you and Shorty here, Nofios." That shot against her height made Soi Fon's anger quiver. "I always love it when you ask me to steal things for you."

"Technically, he didn't ask for that. He just asked you to shop for him." Emihiro said in a gentle, but knowing tone.

Araharu stuck his tongue out at the red haired man playfully. "Aww, but you know how much I love stealing, Emihiro."

"And you know how much I hate it," Emihiro sighed.

"Oh relax," Araharu responded calmly with a smirk. "It's not like either of us will get caught. We're invisible to humans, remember?"

"That's true, but don't you think they might crap their pants a bit once they see random food floating out the door when we're taking it?"

"… Which is why we just teleport in, quickly grab everything, and teleport back out."

Emihiro chuckled lightly, resting his hand on Araharu's shoulder, smiling warmly. "Sounds like a plan."

Araharu smiled back. "Awesome."

Nofios grinned down at his boys, before fixing his gaze on the last of his followers. "Awasira," He began, the blue haired man's attention on him instantly. "Guard the base while we're all out, will you?"

The green eyed man closed his vision, crossed an arm over his chest, and gave a small, yet respectful, bow. "As you wish, Nofios."

"Thank you," The male Soul Reaper replied kindly, wrapping his arm around Soi Fon's shoulders. "Let's go."

She nodded slowly, allowing herself to be guided away from the underground hideout.

Araharu smirked once they were out of earshot, locking eyes with his partners.

"… Oh yeah, Nofios totally has the hots for her."

* * *

"I'm home—"

"—YOU'RE LATE!"

A sudden kick from his overly dramatic father impacted the side of Ichigo's head the moment he walked through the front door of his home. The orange haired boy groaned loudly in surprise, the sound escaping his mouth once again in pain when his body hit the wall at full force, his body sliding down onto the floor beneath. The boy swore under his breath, rubbing his aching head to cleanse the ache. He stood up in the next instant, anger obvious on his expression, him now being face to face with his father.

"Dammit, Dad! What the hell was that for?" He shouted at him in annoyance.

"You're late for dinner, again!" Isshin replied in the same tone as his son. "You should know by now that we Kurosaki's always eat dinner together as a family, so you should be showing up on time every evening!"

Ichigo punched him in the face, sending Isshin flying and then rolling into the wall on the opposite side of the room, the action ending with a loud crash.

"I've already told you this so many times before, Dad! For a high school kid like me, a seven o'clock curfew is totally uncool!"

Ichigo's little sister, Karin, watched the scene before her in slight amusement like she did every other night. Karin's fraternal twin sister, Yuzu, being the gentler and sweeter side of the two, hurried over to their dad to comfort him when he started weeping unnecessarily to himself, mumbling that Ichigo didn't care about the family anymore.

Ichigo let out a low, "Tsk." Before announcing that he was heading to his room for the night, despite the fact that sun had only set mere minutes ago.

Karin's eyes sharpened at Ichigo's mood, so she decided to silently follow him up the stairs.

"Ichigo," The black haired girl decided to start conversation with her older brother the moment he had his strong hand grasping the handle for his door. His brown eyes were hard when they looked at her, refusing to let go of the handle.

"Yeah, what is it, Karin?" He replied.

The young girl was silent for a few moments, causing Ichigo's eyes to soften.

"I… well…" She took a breath and gathered her thoughts. "You seem… I don't exactly know the word for it… but you seem off today, Ichigo. Your mood, that is. Is everything alright?"

Ichigo stared at her a little more intensely now, but made sure to make his defensive look disappear before she noticed it. He allowed a small smile to grace his lips. "I don't know what you're talking about, Karin; I'm fine."

Her features didn't change in the slightest, proving she didn't buy his act. "… It has something to do with Soul Reapers, doesn't it?"

Ichigo froze.

"It has something to do… with you being a Soul Reaper… doesn't it?"

Ichigo's tongue twisted in his mouth, him having difficulty finding words. "What… I… Karin…"

"Please… don't try to hide it from me, Ichigo," Her voice was on the verge of being weak and desperate, a rare thing for Karin. "I've seen you… and I've sensed you, too. I just want to know what's going on… I want to help you."

Ichigo's brain was having trouble working, especially after seeing that certain look in his little sister's eyes. He blocked off the twin doors to his soul with his eyelids, and parted his lips to speak.

"I'm sorry Karin, but I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. And I'm fine—so don't worry about me."

Not being able to stand that look in her grey orbs, he quickly, but hopefully not suspiciously, entered his room, closed the door, and leaned against it, and he remained in that position until her retreating footsteps were deaf to his ears. He sighed heavily, as if he had been holding in his breath for a long time now.

He hated lying to her… absolutely hated it. But he had to do so in order to keep her safe.

"Man…" The handsome boy groaned as he caressed his creased forehead with his fingers, preparing to sit down on his bed.

His closet door suddenly swung open. "How long do you plan on hiding the truth from her?"

"Christ!" Ichigo nearly shouted as he fell back against his bed in surprise, despite how many times Rukia did that to him. A low growl parted his lips as he sat up, staring at the black haired girl who was clad in a pale yellow sundress that complimented her petite frame. "What are you doing in…" He stopped himself mid-sentence, sighing. "You've done that so much that I really shouldn't be surprised anymore, should I?"

"Not really," Rukia replied simply, sitting comfortably next to him, crossing her leg over the other. "You should know by now, Ichigo, that your closet is the only place for me."

He chuckled lightly at her comment, whether from annoyance or amusement, he wasn't sure.

But then the mood lost its lightness and melted into a tense seriousness when Rukia continued to speak, her voice more rough and demanding. "How long do you plan on hiding the truth from her?" She repeated.

A frown arched his eyebrows as he stared into her violet gaze. "It's best if she doesn't—"

"Ichigo," Her firm voice made his words get caught in his throat. The black haired Soul Reaper's eyes hardened slightly. "She already knows about you being a Soul Reaper—don't deny it. Deep down, you know it's true; you just don't want to admit it out loud. You don't want her to get involved, but in reality… she's been involved with you from the very start. You really shouldn't lie to her, especially when she knows that you're lying. It's amazing how much she cares about you."

Ichigo's hands gripped the fabric of his pants as he turned his head to stare at the floor, Rukia's words sinking into his heart. "I know, Rukia, I know, it's just… I just want to keep Karin safe. Your world—our world—it's too dangerous for her. She doesn't deserve the pain of knowing the truth."

"She doesn't deserve the pain of having her older brother rush out of the house just to have him lie to her, even when she knows full well what he's doing."

Ichigo's body tensed up at this, finally being bold enough to meet her eyes. "She isn't dumb, and for a human girl, she isn't weak. She deserves to know the truth—from you," Rukia continued softly. "You really should tell her."

Ichigo was still against it, intensely worried about Karin—and Yuzu as well, for that matter—but something in Rukia's words… maybe it was just the way she said them… or the way she was looking at him… but it was like a wash of courage.

"… Maybe," He said.

Rukia smiled. "If you don't, I will."

This caused Ichigo to smirk. "You're an evil little monster, aren't you?" He concluded.

"I've been told," She nodded as she stuck out her tongue at him. His smirk widened.

"… Anyway," The orange haired boy changed the subject. "It's not that I'm not happy to see you, Rukia, but what exactly are you doing here?"

Playfulness left her tone immediately, becoming one of loyalty and authority. "I have been asked by Head Captain Yamamoto to watch over Karakura Town, seeing as I know my way around it the most."

"Wait… why?"

"Fool, you already know why," She sighed quietly. "Because of Captain Soi Fon's exile."

Ichigo's eyes hardened, his voice now carrying a sharp edge. "Is that any reason for the Soul Society to suddenly be so defensive?"

"Of course it is!" She reasoned with him. "Captain Soi Fon was one of the Seireitei's strongest Captains. What if she plans a rebellion, or what if a large amount of Hollows are attracted to her immense spiritual pressure? I'm only following my orders to help keep both our worlds safe."

"If Soi Fon's as strong as you say, she should know how to masterfully suppress her spiritual pressure," Ichigo stated. "And seeing as she was a Captain… I think she has enough respect for the Soul Society that she won't go against her exile, no matter how much she wants to."

"Yes… I agree with you," Rukia nodded. "The Seireitei is just being careful… we've lost a lot of Captains recently, meaning our power level has been shot quite drastically, along with our trust."

"Yeah… I know…" Ichigo frowned angrily, thinking back to Aizen's betrayal, taking Gin and Tosen with him.

"… Ichigo."

His eyes widened slightly at the concern in her tone, her hand coming to rest upon his lean shoulder. He stared at her softly, urging her to continue.

"I'm… worried about Yoruichi."

Ichigo's expression saddened as he gently placed his hand over hers.

"Yeah… me too."

* * *

"… And remember the time you were so busy _daydreaming_ that you didn't even notice me come up behind you? I scared the crap out of you and you fell into the river!"

Soi Fon's expression was coated with a frown and a smirk. "Of course, how could I _ever_ forget that lovely moment? That water was quite cold. I was sick for the next three days."

"Sorry," Nofios apologized while chuckling. "But that opportunity was just too perfect to pass up." A grin stretched widely across his face. "Just makes me wonder… what exactly you were daydreaming about."

"Shut up!" A blush spread about her face. She remembered all too well. He laughed playfully at her.

"Oh boy…" Nofios let out a long sigh before wrapping his arm around her shoulders, staring at her deep in the eyes. "I've really missed you, Soi Fon."

"… I've missed you, too," She replied slowly, her words growing quieter every second. She adjusted her gaze to the cement pathway they were walking upon. "But I was hurt when you left me just as Yoruichi-sama had…"

He gently grabbed her hand without any hesitation, their walking ceased. Her stomach did a flip for some reason before she stared into the depths of his ice blue eyes, eyes that seemed unusually warm at the moment. The moonlight made his skin glow like porcelain, the slightest bit of hurt being portrayed through his orbs, his wild hair darker then the night around them.

His next words were soft, but painful to hear. "Ever since you became a Captain, I thought you didn't need me anymore."

The moon suddenly seemed to get dimmer.

* * *

They returned to their underground home in the much later hours, after they had discussed a few more things about their past, and after Nofios showed her some of his favourite spots in town.

The two were now standing in front of Soi Fon's new room, the only door in the hallway that was open, as the other residents had already retired for the night. The illumination in her room gently caressed their skin and clothes with light.

Nofios was still gripping her hand. "It was nice to catch up," He told her genuinely.

"Yes…" She squeezed his hand unconsciously. "It was."

He smiled, letting go of her hand. "Alright, well… goodnight then, Soi Fon. I hope your first night here is a comfortable one." He began to retreat towards his own room, before a slightly suggestive smirk formed on his lips. "Unless you'd prefer to sleep with one of us."

She made a disturbed face, but the green haired man caught her blush before she was blocked from his vision by her closed door.

Not caring about the light, nor her Gigai, nor her environment, she quickly walked over to her bed and collapsed on it. She just wanted to forget about everything and drift into sleep right then and there, but thoughts continued to cloud over her mind, one that was pushed towards the front of her mind more than any other. She frowned, burying her face in her pillow.

_I don't understand. After I realized those three boys were Hollows… why wasn't my first reaction to kill them?_

_

* * *

_

**San**: A Japanese honorific title equivalent to Mr., Mrs., etc., added to names as a mark of respect.

**Gigai**: Artificial bodies that allows Soul Reapers to remain in the Human World and interact with humans.

**Vasto Lorde**: The third classification of Menos and the highest level of evolution.

**Arrancar**: A Hollow that has removed its mask and has gained Soul Reaper-like powers.

**I am EXTREMELY sorry for making you guys wait so long for this chapter. I need to be in the right mood to write, and even then, if I can't think of anything to type, obviously, nothing will get typed.**

**Plus, I'm kinda… um… not doing so well at my subjects at school, so I've been trying to focus on my grades recently. This obviously affected how much I could focus on this story.**

**And yes, these 3 new OC's are quite important. That makes a total of 4 now—these are the only extremely important ones though. If I add anymore (there will be one more later on) they'll only be in for like a chapter or so. Also, I'm sorry if the descriptions of their clothes aren't very clear… I'm not good at that stuff XD I'll eventually draw pics of them though and put them on my DeviantART page so you guys can see :)**

**Just one last thing… YOU GUYS EXCITED FOR HALLOWEEN? XD You better be. Candy and scary things… effing awesome lol. I'm dressing up as Soi Fon, and I'm going to get my friends to take a few pictures of me, then I'm going to post a few on my DeviantART page if any of you are interested in seeing them XD**

**Anyways… once again, I apologize for the long wait for this chapter. Thank you for being so patient with me, and I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter—and I apologize again for the fact that Yoruichi was not even in this one! Trust me, she's going to have her moments though. In Chapter 5 especially… hehe :D**

**Please review for me my lovely readers! It really does make my whole day so much better! Love you guys!**


	4. Running Away Won't Solve Anything

**Thank you to all my readers, I love you guys! I'm extremely sorry for the long wait for this, and even more sorry that this chapter is shorter than the others. It's more like a filler chapter than anything, but I promise you, epic moments will happen soon enough! Hope you enjoy chapter 4! ^^**

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Running Away Won't Solve Anything**

"_Running away will never make you free." _–Kenny Loggins.

~ YSYSYS ~

"So, Hisagi… how do you think Lieutenant Omaeda's been doing since Captain Soi Fon got exiled?"

Shuhei Hisagi turned to look at the shorter blonde haired boy that stood next to him. Shuhei sighed, running his strong hand through his short, raven coloured locks. "Geez, that guy's either really happy or really sad," he replied. "Happy cause Captain Soi Fon isn't there to beat the crap outta him anymore, or sad because he is lost without her. That guy really doesn't have any leadership skills."

Izuru Kira nodded in agreement. "Perhaps we should assist Lieutenant Omaeda in leading the Second Division and the Stealth Force," Kira suggested. Shuhei's dark grey eyes looked at him questionably, silently asking why they should bother. "Well…" Kira continued, his blue orbs hardening. "… We both understand the feeling of our Captains betraying us."

The bare muscles in Shuhei's arms tensed suddenly, his gaze growing sharp, pain hidden within them. "It's almost impossible to believe…" Shuhei started somewhat bitterly as he stared upwards at the clear sky above, "… how much the Soul Society is being betrayed recently."

Kira looked downwards, his shoulders a bit slumped over. "… Yeah."

"Like, it's in an uproar!" the tattooed boy continued with an edged groan. "But despite all that," he looked over at Kira, "I think Captain Soi Fon's punishment was unfair."

"Even if that's true… it's… hard for me to be loyal to _anyone_ anymore…" The hurt could easily be read in the blue eyed man's tone.

Shuhei's eyes automatically softened when Kira looked up at him.

"Please… don't ever betray me, Hisagi," the blonde haired boy pleaded in a moment of emotional weakness.

A gentle smile tugged at the corners of Shuhei's lips. "I could never do that to you, Izuru."

* * *

"Mr. Kisuke… I'm concerned about Miss Yoruichi. She hasn't come out of her room in two weeks and I'm starting to get really worried. Do you think we should go check on her?"

Kisuke used his hand to reposition the green and white striped hat upon his head so his grey eyes could observe Ururu who stood before him shyly holding a broom, a blush upon her cheeks. Her black hair was in her trademark twin pigtails, her purple eyes displaying the concern she was feeling. She was clad in a white t-shirt along with a knee-length pink skirt with white polka dots.

Urahara reached forward and gently petted her head, a small smile on his expression. "Don't worry about Yoruichi," he told the young girl. "That crazy cat left her room a week and a half ago, saying she needed her alone time. She hasn't returned since, but I'm sure she's fine."

Ururu nodded nervously. "Oh… a-alright then. Sorry to bother you, Mr. Kisuke."

She retreated away from him and exited the shop, sweeping away leaves on the other side of the front door, leaving Kisuke alone in the room.

The moment Ururu was out of his sight, his eyes hardened considerably as he remembered what Yoruichi said to him nearly two weeks ago.

* * *

_The air was crisp in Karakura Town, darkness still flooding the streets. The Sun would not rise for at least another good two hours._

_The front door to the Urahara Shop slid open silently, the beautiful Yoruichi Shihoin being showered in the moonlight, practically making her purple hair turn black as she closed the door behind her. She was clothed in her normal orange over-shirt and black stretch pants, but the chilly air still bit against her available chocolate skin, making her shiver involuntarily._

_Yoruichi sighed, stopping after she took a few steps forward to look up at the moon that was granting her some light. Ever since she was a young girl, she always thought the moon held a mysterious beauty—especially when it was a full moon like tonight. Her golden eyes began to glaze over as her mind reminded her of one of her favourite—and most painful—nights._

_She shook her head quickly though, rubbing her temples, not wanting to get too caught up in that right now, but there was something she couldn't seem to shake off…_

I lied to her two times that night,_ Yoruichi thought sadly._

_("I will always be by your side to protect you. Always…"_

"_Yeah, it's a promise.")_

That was a lie_, Yoruichi thought bitterly._

_("You… remind me of me. Sometimes I feel like you're my little sister.")_

_Yoruichi's head hung low_. … That was a lie, too.

_The goddess's eyes began to narrow as she remembered about more recent events._

_("_Back off_!")_

_Those two words were what started the breaking of Yoruichi's heart that day, but many other things followed. She was so shocked that Soi Fon had protected that man… that she couldn't understand how Soi Fon was feeling. How in pain she must've been…_

_("Oh, that's right… it's always been about what_ you _want, hasn't it?"_

"_Why can't you honor me with the fight I deserve, Yoruichi-sama?"_

"_All that fight succeeded in doing… was shouting the fact… that I was still the pathetic girl you betrayed 100 years ago."_

"_What made him so special? Why did it always have to be about_ him_?"_

"_No! I'm done listening! All your talk is full of lies! I… am_ through _with you, Yoruichi-sama! I refuse to let you hurt me like that again! Your very existence threw away any chance at freedom I could've had, and I was still haunted by your image even after you left! I… I'm not your pet anymore!"_

"_That man… he was there for me when you never were. He actually cares about me. If you dare even_ threaten _him again… I'll kill you, Yoruichi-sama!"_

"_I'm not the same girl you used to know. A lot of things can change in 100 years, Yoruichi-sama… including my feelings for you.")_

_It was rough for Yoruichi to take all that at once. No… rough was too unexaggerated of a word._

_The purple haired woman rested a hand over her heart, realizing how fast it was beating. Even now… she still felt winded from when Soi Fon kicked her._

_To Yoruichi, fighting Soi Fon the first time while helping Ichigo stop Rukia's execution was hard enough. The fact that she was forced to do battle with her a second time… it was almost too much. She knew she could never purposely hurt her student._

… I've hurt her enough already anyway, _Yoruichi thought sadly, her arm falling down limply to her side._

"_What'cha doin, Yoruichi?"_

_Her shoulders tensed from being startled at the sound, but no surprise echoed her mind from the speaker. She turned to see Kisuke standing by the door to his shop._

_He blinked innocently at the stern look on her face. "You know…" he began with a gentle smile despite the look he was receiving. "… Running away won't solve anything."_

"_I'm aware of that," the woman's silky voice replied without missing a beat, her catlike eyes sharp. "I'm not running away from anything. I just want to be alone for awhile to think thing's over."_

_Kisuke's smile dropped, yet his expression softened in concern. "It's not your fault."_

_The purple haired woman knew full well what he was referring to, and chose not to reply._

_Kisuke stared at her for a few long moments before letting out a deep, silent breath through his nose. "Do you want a Gigai?" he offered her._

_She shook her head, forcing a small smile upon her expression. "Thanks, but no. I'd rather not be seen for the next couple of days…"_

_She turned back around and walked off into the darkness._

_The dirty blonde haired man continued to look at the empty space her body filled just moments before. He knew it was best for Yoruichi to sort out her inner problems on her own, but he still couldn't help but feel worried about her._

* * *

**-Back in Present Time-**

"RUKIA? YOU'RE BACK! Oh, how I've missed you!"

Rukia giggled playfully at Keigo's performance of fondness towards her. It was cute in a way, despite the annoyance.

"Oh my… Keigo, was it?" Rukia began in a soft, girly tone. "If I knew that you had missed me this much, I would've tried to come back sooner!"

"Oh Rukia, your words are as kind as ever!" he placed a gentle kiss upon the back of her hand.

"Oh, put a cork in it, you dumbass," Tatsuki ordered in frustration as she punched the brown haired boy away. The tomboy's expression quickly morphed into a light smirk at the sight of the girl in front of her. "Welcome back, Rukia!"

"Ditto to that," Mizuiro joined in with a cute smile.

"Yeah Rukia, we've all missed you so much! Especially me!" Orihime declared as she hugged Rukia tightly, her magnificent breasts making it hard for the short black haired girl to breathe, but once she could, she laughed happily and thanked all of them.

The violet eyed girl smiled and made simple responses to her friends of the human world as they calmly talked amongst each other. Despite how soon the class was about to start, not many students were inside the room yet in Karakura High School.

Rukia's eyes were immediately attracted to the vibrant orange hair on the head of the boy who just walked in the classroom. For some reason, her throat tightened as she tried to call out his name, resulting in someone beating her to it.

"Good morning, Ichigo!" Orihime greeted to the boy cheerfully.

"Huh? … Oh, yeah, good morning, Orihime."

The long haired girl's smiled dropped from his tone. He wasn't even looking at her, either. "Ichigo, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Ichigo replied slowly, faking a smile. "Don't worry about it." He then turned his back to his friends and sat down in his seat, blindly staring out the window.

"Ichigo…" Orihime reached her hand out, as if believing he would walk back over, but once she realized he wasn't going to budge, she pulled her hand back towards her chest in worry. She could feel a slight ache in her heart.

Without muttering a word, Rukia silently walked over to Ichigo and stood next to him, gazing out the window emotionlessly as well.

Keigo and Mizuiro were too busy chatting amongst themselves to notice, but how distantly Ichigo and Rukia were acting was worrying both Orihime and Tatsuki.

"Tatsuki…" Orihime murmured faintly. "They're both acting so… different. They're hiding something from us, I just know it. I'm concerned about them… what should I do?"

The black haired tomboy suppressed a chuckle as she placed her hand on the large-breasted girl's shoulder. "There's always something going on with those two," she stated, almost in a light-hearted manner. "I'm sure they're fine. They'll tell you about it when they're ready."

"Tatsuki…"

Tatsuki smiled, gently squeezing her best friend's shoulder, before looking away._ Well… they'll tell _you_, anyway, Orihime. As of recently… none of you tell me anything anymore. You guys always disappear without a word and don't even trust me enough to tell me what's going on…_

The orange haired boy sighed as the Sun's rays warmed his face through the window, resting his chin in his palm. It was one of those days when he simply didn't have the energy to do anything.

"Are you alright, Ichigo?"

Hearing Rukia's soft voice didn't surprise him. It soothed him more than anything. "Yeah, I'm fine, Rukia. I'm just thinking."

"About?"

He turned his head to meet her gaze, his eyes unreadable despite his words. "It's been awfully quiet since Soi Fon's exile. You'd figure something out of the ordinary would've happened by now."

"Yeah, you're right." Rukia's violet eyes steeled in puzzlement. "There have been no signs of that mysterious man who was with her… or of any Hollows, for that matter. Karakura Town hasn't been this inactive in a long while."

The orange haired boy stared deeply at his smaller companion. "Do you think there's a reason for that?"

Rukia shook her head in a swell of frustration. "I can't say for certain. Maybe they just don't want to come here."

Ichigo frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Maybe… a force is holding them back…"

"Alright students, take your seats!" The sound of Miss Misato's voice instructing them from the front of the classroom quieted all the adolescents down. "It's time to start the class! … Why are only half of you here?"

* * *

"… _Yoruichi-sama?"_

"_Mmmm, yes Little Bee?"_

_The black haired girl shivered upon feeling her mentor's breath shower her neck._

"_Was… was it really alright for you to let him get captured?" The woman holding her from behind stiffened suddenly. "I mean, I know he was lazy and incompetent, and not for one moment did I believe he deserved the title of captain, but he was your best friend, wasn't he?"_

_Yoruichi looked away for a moment, gathering her thoughts as the gentle breeze caressed her short purple locks. "I was going to save him."_

"_Then why didn't you?"_

"_Because if I did, you would have been left all alone." Yoruichi pulled the younger girl closer, gently burying her face in her hair. "I could never do that to you."_

"_Yoruichi-sama!" Soi Fon gasped, turning around in her teacher's arms so she could stare into those gorgeous, catlike eyes. "You know that I would do anything for you. Even if you were exiled from the Soul Society, I would go with you… you know that, right?"_

_The chocolate skinned woman smiled, delicately stroking Soi Fon's cheek with her fingertips. "I know you would, Soi Fon, and that's precisely why I didn't help Kisuke. I didn't want to leave you behind, but I could never ask you to come with me, either. I couldn't ruin your life like that."_

_Soi Fon looked down shyly, her cheeks beginning to flush. "Y-Yoruichi-sama…"_

_Yoruichi gently gripped the younger girl's chin, bringing her back up to eye-level. Soi Fon shivered at how intensely her master was gazing at her._

"_I care about you way too much to ever let you get hurt like that, Soi Fon. You mean everything to me."_

_Soi Fon's face blossomed with pink at her goddess's confession, and her heart began slamming against her ribcage as she noticed Yoruichi begin to lean down. Yoruichi was pulling her closer, her eyes eventually fluttering closed._

_Soi Fon gulped nervously, finding pleasure in how warm her body was suddenly feeling. She let her eyes close and allowed Yoruichi to guide her head towards hers. It would be mere moments until their lips met in tender passion…_

…

…

…

Soi Fon awoke with a sharp gasp, sitting upwards in her bed. She could feel sweat creep down her brow, and her entire body felt like a furnace. She wiped away the beads of sweat slicking her forehead and rested her head in her hands, sighing shakily to herself in pained frustration.

"Dammit…" the ex-Captain murmured to herself, "ever since Nofios mentioned it two weeks ago…"

She let out an unstable breath, the image of her beautiful Yoruichi-sama holding her so gently, with gorgeous amber eyes staring at her as if she was the most precious thing in the whole world stained in her memory. And then the way she gripped her chin… how close those luxurious lips were to claiming hers.

"Why…" Soi Fon moaned, feeling her entire body start to tremble. "Why can't I forget about that stupid daydream?"

* * *

It was far into the late hours of the night, the moon still hanging confidently in the sky, gently illuminating any areas that vibrant advertising signs and creepy street lampposts couldn't reach. A beautiful woman noticed a family of raccoons in the corner of her topaz eyes, scurrying away to a dumpster that she had stalked by a few metres back. She was walking through a dark, isolated area, no other people in sight to distract her, leaving the atmosphere in a chilling silence.

Yoruichi sighed, wishing there was a breeze caressing her skin so that she could hear more than just the dull, eerie tap of her footsteps. She knew it would still take her awhile to get back to Urahara's Shop at this rate, but she couldn't will herself to move any faster.

Her mind just couldn't stop replaying every scene that happened in her fight with Soi Fon two weeks ago, the absolute, passionate emotion that shone within those silver eyes as she told her to back off. The image kept swimming around in her mind like a whirlwind, and this shameful insecurity barred Yoruichi from travelling any faster.

The catlike woman couldn't help but blame herself. This heartache, depression and confusion… how it felt like nearly nothing mattered anymore, like everything you ever cared about was thrust away in a jolting instant… was this how Soi Fon felt when she abandoned her 100 years ago?

No, that couldn't be the case. Not entirely. Even if Soi Fon felt all those things, she must of felt anger, too, anger that eventually melted into hatred. But Yoruichi didn't feel that way; she felt no anger towards Soi Fon at all, only to the man that took Soi Fon away.

Yoruichi's eyes widened as she stared blankly ahead of her. _I'm not angry with Soi Fon, but I'm furious with the man that took her away from me. Perhaps… is this the reason why Soi Fon hates Ki-_

Yoruichi froze mid-step as she felt a presence behind her. She frowned deeply, the knits within this new spiritual pressure feeling so familiar yet disorienting at the same time. She turned around to face the new arrival, only to have her body turn to stone and her eyes cloud with animosity.

Just metres away stood the mysterious green haired man who took Soi Fon away, grinning darkly at her.

* * *

**LOOOL I made you guys wait this long for this? SO SORRY! I've just been extremely lazy. But trust me when I say this, I do have the entire story planned out. I know how many chapters this story is going to have and what will happen in each one. I just keep getting distracted with other things and losing interest and stuff that I just never get around to writing it ^^'**

**I like what happens in the next chapter, though. Was one of my favourite scenes to plan out. After all, Yoruichi finally has Nofios alone… wonder what's gonna happen? ;) And in the next chapter, you guys get to learn about Araharu's and Emihiro's pasts'! Mhmm. Yeah. I went there.**

**ANYWAYS, despite how much shorter this chapter was and how long you had to wait for it, I hope you guys still enjoyed it and will continue to give me your lovely reviews. I just went through all my reviews today and it's only because of all the nice things you guys said that I was motivated to just fucking SIT DOWN AND WRITE THIS! So please review again for me! Love you guys! :)**

**~Sheena**


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